# Oats and Barley?



## bekaah (Feb 21, 2013)

Recently I have been thinking of changing my goats' feed to a blend of oats and barley. They've been on Purina Noble Goat Grower 16, which is medicated. I'd like to switch because I want something more natural, and I know that goats aren't supposed to be on grain, really. My doe is in milk, kidded 2 months ago to a doeling, and they're getting fed together, about 1 cup, each morning and night. Mama goat will eat basically anything, so I'm not to worried on the switch, and baby would just be getting alfalfa pellets and hay, if I'm correct? My question is: What is your feed mix? I've been looking everywhere, and come up with about the same stuff, but have different amounts for everything. I would be making small batches, as a 50 lb bag of feed lasts us a couple months. Any help would be great! Thank you!


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## jddolan (Mar 31, 2013)

There has been a post on here were someone was using a mix for feed ,hope they join in I don't remember all ingredients


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## Curious (Feb 6, 2013)

I would be interested in any answers also! I'm really wanting to make a mix that isn't super processed like the pelleted grain, like a whole grain mix of some sort. Any ideas?


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## jddolan (Mar 31, 2013)

If you look at posts from a few days ago u will see o e


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## Curious (Feb 6, 2013)

Found it: http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f218/making-grain-mix-135711/


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## jddolan (Mar 31, 2013)

Glad you found it


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## bekaah (Feb 21, 2013)

Thank you for the link!


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## Curious (Feb 6, 2013)

Welcome 
There are also quite a few other things that turn up if you search, just experiment, :]


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

i have limited options, so my girls get oats, alfalfa pellets, and handful of boss and peas.

i had come across a homemade oats and barley mixture, but that link is on my work computer. i will send that in the morning when i get to work.


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## bekaah (Feb 21, 2013)

Curious, I went looking all over the place and I seemed to have found around the same thing on what to feed, I just would like to know how much of each in the mixing and which type to use (whole, rolled, crimped, etc.). I know I would like to use oats, barley, and BOSS (already use that) in the grain mix itself. Maybe beat pulp? I know that's good, too. And I would like to know what to feed the baby, I heard no grain, use alfalfa pellets instead. I've been searching and searching EVERYWHERE for the past few days. :hair: I'm up for suggestions and others' experience, because Google is no help to me right now. LOL


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## Curious (Feb 6, 2013)

I'm giving my preggo doe a mix of 1 parts alfalfa and grain each to 1/2 part rolled oats. My babies are on bottle still and I'm giving them BOSS. They are probably suggesting alfalfa for the calcium. Make sure your barley is rolled because I'm pretty sure it's hard to chew. BOSS is awesome for keeping condition on animals. I think putting alfalfa in your mix if they don't get alfalfa hay would be a good idea, but I'm no expert. Maybe try 30% crimped oats, 30% rolled barley, 30% alfalfa, and 10% BOSS?

**with babies, I have read that you give them as much grain as they can eat in 30 minutes. I would try 1 cup alfalfa to 1/4 BOSS and go from there**


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

I make my own mix as follows:

All parts by weight not volume
3 parts chaff (I think you call it chopped hay - can be either oaten, wheaten or lucerne/alfalfa chaff or a mixture of all three). I like a mix of all three. I know chaff seems hard to get in the US you could use alfalfa pellets instead, or Chaffhaye if you can get it, or you can make this mix without the chaff, I just like it for the added roughage. 
1 part flaky bran (wheat bran) - can be substituted by pollard
1 part lupins (can be whole, cracked, rolled, bruised etc. I use whole)
1 part barley (again can be whole or processed, I use whole) - can also be other cereal grains such as oats, wheat, triticale. I like barley the best as it has more nutrition than oats but is a safer feed than wheat or trit. 

With this feed for standard dairy does you feed 500g for maintenance, + 500g for pregnancy, + 500g for every litre of milk produced.

I feed this to all my goats, does, bucks, kids etc. also fed it to my alpaca when I had her, and sheep, cows, rabbits etc. I like that it is a mix that almost any animal can eat and I can just tweak it. Its basically what I feed my horse too except I soak her lupins and barley then mix it in. 

Just before kidding and when the goats are in peak lactation, I add 1 part shredded beet pulp flakes (dry) which seems to help them regain condition as most of mine milk their condition off, and a sprinkle of BOSS ontop of each of their feeds. 

Sometimes for little kids, like my 2 week old now, I get cracked or rolled barley and lupins rather than the whole stuff, just so its a bit easier for their little teeth to chew. With babies I like to leave a bowl in their pen so they can eat as much as they want. 

Hope that helps


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## Curious (Feb 6, 2013)

You're right, chaff is not common here in the states. What it lupin? I have never heard of that or lucerne. So in the US it would be 3 parts alfalfa pellets? Is bagged hay like you would find at TSC suitable? Thank you for the help


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Not sure what the bagged hay is ... sorry! 

Lucerne is just what we call alfalfa. 

Lupins are a grain that is high in protein. Surprised you dont have that there! You can just use the barley and add a little canola meal to bump up the protein. If you are using all alfalfa pellets you may be fine just with the barley.


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## Curious (Feb 6, 2013)

Bagged hay is just chopped up alfalfa in a plastic bag  I've never heard of lupin so I assume it isn't common here. I also live in the Deep South and its too hot for barley, so looks like I'm out of luck. They don't even carry it in the feed stores. Oats is the only thing one can find in South Georgia. Sorry to be so frustrating!


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I use my own mix of oats wheat milo and barley never add molasses


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

if the bagged hay is chopped up it should be fine  and yep you can use the oats instead of the barley. Lori has a great idea incorporating a little milo and wheat into it will give it a bit of 'oomph' that the oats lack.


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## Curious (Feb 6, 2013)

I'll look for it. I know some wheat can grow here so there _must_ be someone who sells it. I don't think milo grows here very well either but I'll be on the look ou for both. Could I possibly use beet pulp or BOSS to add that little somethin' extra? The south is not very cooperative when it comes to feed!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Lupines are field peas


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

lol, goes to show the differences between countries. Here we have both lupins and field peas and they are different things! 

If you add the wheat keep it to a small amount and introduce very slowly, wheat is one of the more dangerous feeds for livestock as they have the potential to kill them through nasty acidosis if not introduced very slowly, and you certainly dont want to overdo the amount. Having said that I know the breeder of arguably the best dairy goats in australia who has also bred several world record holding saanens for milk production, feeds only soaked wheat, as much as the does want to eat. I tried doing that but my girls really dont like wet food. 

You can definitely use the beet pulp and BOSS for the something extra


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

LOL, Australian Winter Peas is the variety, I believe. For us field peas covers several different types, they would all interchange well though.
The guy in Barbadoes is having good luck with 1part oats, 1part barley, 1/2part split peas, and 1/2part BOSS.

Everyone here gets alfalfa pellets free choice. They eat what they need.


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

ok, so I'm at work and got the recipe I was talking about is linked below. I want to give this to my girls, but I need to find barley and wheat bran in bulk.

http://www.sandylanedairygoats.com/feedrecipe.htm


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## Curious (Feb 6, 2013)

All of the cereal grains besides oats and rye are very hard to come by around here without big $$$. I refuses to feed my animals soybeans, which are in abundance. That's why I don't want to feed mine grain, but until I figure out a mix that's what my doe will get. Nobody else needs or gets grain, besides the babies who nibble alfalfa. Although from what you do with your wethers, goathiker, I should probably start them on alfalfa? 

I just saw that milo and feed sorghum are the same things? YAY something that can actually grow here!! I'm pretty sure people feed that to cows here so I'm hopeful that I can find some at a feed store.

Would a sorghum/oats/alfalfa mix be wise? I'd like to incorporate alfalfa for the calcium. Ours do not get the hay because it's $20 a bale and they are wastrels. Thank you guys so much for your help.


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## bekaah (Feb 21, 2013)

nchen7: I found that one and it sounded good. Do you know how much to reduce that to for it to only be about 40-50 lbs? I have Nigerians and a 50 lb bag of feed lasts about 2 - 2 1/2 months. 

As for the alfalfa pellets, I can't free choice because my goaties are also little piggies and will eat till they explode. The only free choice they have at the moment is baking soda, loose minerals, and a billy block.

Also, is anyone from Florida and know where to get these things (all the ingredients for feed) because I don't think my feed store I go to has them (The Hay Depot in Plant City if any of you Floridians are reading and know) and Tractor Supply doesn't. I'm kind of at limits as I live in a city area with one feed store near me, but they're rude and expensive so I already have to take a drive to get my feed and supplies now. I can't even find them online, if anyone has any place they know of and would like to share.


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

bekaah - did a quick calc on excel...see below (all in lbs).

happy mixing!

with salt
*50 lbs mix 40 lbs mix* 
 22.2 17.7 SteamRolled Barley
 22.2 17.7 Oats
 1.4 1.1 BOSS
 0.7 0.6 Redmansalt
 0.1 0.1 Brewer's yeast
 3.5 2.8 Wheatbran

without salt
*50 lbs mix 40 lbs mix* 
 22.5 18.0 SteamRolled Barley
22.5 18.0 Oats
 1.4 1.1 BOSS
0.1 0.1 Brewer's yeast
 3.5 2.8 Wheatbran


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