# How much grain do I feed my goats?



## doneroamingacres

I'm having trouble figuring out how much to feed goats. I feed them hay (we're working on getting pasture) with 18% grain. How much grain do I feed my four month old nigerian dwarfs? How much grain should I feed my pregnate pygmy and nigerian dwarf? Milking nigeriandwarf? 3 month old full sized goats? Milking nubian and Nigerian Dwarf? I'm very confused at how much grain goats need. Any help or suggestion would be apprieciated! Thank You!


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## alyssa_romine

I dont know much about ND but I feed my boers, kiko, and myotonics about 1 1/2 cups twice a day. Pregnant goats get 2-3 1/2 cups at the end of pregnancy and are fed that much until their kids start eating grain well. My feed is 16%...with an 18%, you shouldnt have to feed very much at all....maybe half a cup twice a day or however many times you feed. 

I hope this helps....maybe someone that raises ND can help you more than I can....i am not sure how far into pregnancy your goat is but you slowly increase the amount you feed them towards the end of their pregnancy....I usually increase about a month before their due date.


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## StaceyRosado

doneroamingacres said:


> How much grain do I feed my four month old nigerian dwarfs? How much grain should I feed my pregnate pygmy and nigerian dwarf? Milking nigeriandwarf? 3 month old full sized goats? Milking nubian and Nigerian Dwarf? I'm very confused at how much grain goats need. Any help or suggestion would be apprieciated! Thank You!


4 months ND - a handful

Pregnant pygmy and ND: 1 -2 cups (depending on where they are in pregnancy. Give more mid pregnancy then early or late because that is when the babies are developing the most)

Milking ND - 2 cups

3 month full size - handful

Milking Nubian - (I give 1 standard size coffee can each milking) aprox 4 cups+

Milking ND (same as above?) - 2 cups

These all can be fugged a little depending on their individual needs and you can feed this once a day for the non milking but those that are milking should get grain twice a day if you are milking twice a day.


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## goathappy

I'm not sure about the minis, but my dry does get 1 cup 2x a day, my pregnant does get 2 cups 2x a day upping it to 4 cups 2 weeks before kidding, and my milking does get 1lb of grain for every 3 lbs of milk produced, plus and extra lb if they are on the skinny side. That might be a bit much for your girls if you are feeding 18% protein.


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## liz

I feed 18% and the 3 does I'm milking get 1 1/2 cups each milking(2x a day) my dry yearling gets 1/2 c 2x a day and my 3 month olds get 1/2 c 2x day...and all the hay and pasture they want. My bucks get 1/2 c 1x a day, including my 3 month old buckling. BTW...I have ND+ ND/Pygmies....and they are "healthy" far from being fat or skinny..perfect.


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## enjoytheride

I am amazed- I can see milking does needing lots of extra to produce but my 180 lb boer does get 1/6 c twice a day (to stick the minerals to) when not nursing and 1/3 twice a day when the kids are nursing- they do not get free choice hay and my vet said my goats are toooooo fat. I agree but the field is a half inch high and they are locked up all night with 1 lb of grass hay for the open doe and 4 lbs of alfalfa for the nursing doe. I can't make myself give them less.


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## Nubian-Shepherdess

Is there a difference between grain and feed?


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## ksalvagno

Depends on the person but most people use those words interchangeably.


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## toth boer goats

Wow, this is a really old thread.


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## Nubian-Shepherdess

Oh okay. Thanks!


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