# Thoughts on our feed for does & wethers?



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I finally remembered to get a feed tag so I could get opinions.

So far this is the possible plan for the kids:
2-3 does - twin yearlings and 1 would be 1 1/2 yrs. old by show time
2 baby does - born in the last 2-3 weeks
3-4 wethers - born in the last 1-4 weeks

The twin yearling does aren't too terrible IMO, their biggest fault is high rumps. But my kids have their hearts set on showing them again this year.
1 of them has always been long, and has always had a bit of a sunken in look around the hips, so I think it's possibly a genetic thing with her <her mom is very similar could be the nubian in them perhaps? - granddam is 1/2 nubian>.
the other 1 needs less hay and more grain IMO, she's umm...wide LOL

They are pretty flabby in the lower belly though, so along with changing their diet, I'm going to have the kids start walking them again a few times a week.

The babies are all starting to nibble on grain, so tomorrow if weather permits, I'll start on a creep area for all the babies.

So... with all that explained.

This is our feed label:










Then this is the Purina Honor X-clamation

Crude Protein
This includes not more than 1.00% equivalent
crude protein from non-protein nitrogen
Min 16.00% Crude Fat Min 4.00% Crude Fiber Min 19.00% Calcium (Ca) Min 0.50% Calcium (Ca) Max 1.00% Phosphorus (P) Min 0.35% Salt (Na Cl) Min 0.70% Salt (Na Cl) Max 1.20% Copper (Cu) Min 17 ppm Copper (Cu) Max 22 ppm Selenium (Se) Min 0.30 ppm Vitamin A Min 10000.00 IU/lb Vitamin D Min 2000.00 IU/lb
Vitamin E Min 30.00 IU/lb

Any idea's what I could add to our feed to make it better for their goats without having to use show feeds?
I was thinking Rice Bran Oil for the does that need weight.
Here's a link there are nutritional info on it too:
http://www.mccauleybros.com/supplements/products/rice-bran-oil.aspx?catID=ricebran

What about the wethers?


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## goatgirlzCA (Mar 9, 2011)

The goat developer is made by Farmers Feed, which ours in CA is called "boer goat developer." I think its the same - I just switched to this and so far I really like it. My wethers are growing well on it. And it was priced cheaper than what I was feeding them.

What I would do with the "flabby belly" ones is weigh out their grain, and cut back on their hay too so they don't get "hay belly." My daughter's show wethers and does only get a large handful of hay twice a day between two goats, not free fed hay. So far they look good!

I know exercise is very important on the show animals. I have a big wooden spool that they jump on and off, and all the younger goats have to get up on the hind legs to eat grain - the feeders are elevated to help build muscle in the back.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

The rice bran oil is too high in fat for older wethers. It is fine for putting weight on a young goat but bad for older wethers. It'd be awesome for does though! I reccomend cocosoya for wethers... it has fatty acids that help digest proteins rather than add fat. Calf manna is good for both... does need more than wethers. 

The feed looks very similar to HSC so it should be good for wethers and does. 

There are the pricey supplements for both and I can list the ones I know if you'd like. Personally, I feed as cost effective as I can. I do put more into feeding wethers but that's what I show most


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks so much I appreciate it! 
You girls have helped us so much, I can't thank you enough 

Dani - I remembered you telling me about the cocosoya oil and couldn't remember the name of it, so thanks again for mentioning it. 
I'm thinking maybe I'll pick up a bottle of rice bran oil for the does, and then when we start weaning the boys we can get the cocosoya oil to mix into their feed. 
IMO if we could get away with doing the oil & our regular grain, and a little alfalfa hay, that would be very cost effective for us.

I've already started to change the does feed. They were getting clover/grass hay through the day/night, and 1 cup of grain. I don't know how much 1 cup measures out to be, so I need to weigh the grain.
Now they get a little alfalfa with the other does during the day, and 2 cups of grain in the evening along with hay.

GoatGirlzCA - that is very interesting that you just switched to the same feed! You'll definitely have to tell me how you like it after you've had a chance to use it. 
We pay $9.75 a bag at a nearby feed mill.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

I don't measure in pounds... I use the 1 quart horse scoop. We did have a package scale and it was about 1lb. So I go by 1 quarts


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## bayouboergoats (Dec 30, 2012)

HoosierShadow said:


> We pay $9.75 a bag at a nearby feed mill.


WOW!!!! I wish I could get a good feed around here for $9.75 a bag!?!?!



I pay $16.75 for a 50lb sack


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

bayouboergoats said:


> WOW!!!! I wish I could get a good feed around here for $9.75 a bag!?!?!
> 
> 
> 
> I pay $16.75 for a 50lb sack


Yikes! I'd be broke for sure! They are killing us as it is on hay/grain bill and the babies are just starting to eat grain & haven't started getting 4-H goats ready yet lol

BTW, we switched to this feed late last spring, it was $9.25 <that's w/tax>, and it did climb up to what it is now $9.75.

But in the end, it's worth it  Especially when the kids get their babies from conception to the show ring, ya know? It's all worth it to see them proudly showing their goats. I wish so many more kids out there could experience it!


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## bayouboergoats (Dec 30, 2012)

I am broke all the time!!!!! I buy feed every other week and I usually spend. About $200 Give or take a few if I need more Meds or a new bucket etc. We even cut back on grain some and that is all we can cut back to save and the prices just keep rising!!!!


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

I'm glad I only have wethers part of the year... we pay 18.50 a bag but it last about 5 weeks for 2 wethers


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

bayouboergoats said:


> I am broke all the time!!!!! I buy feed every other week and I usually spend. About $200 Give or take a few if I need more Meds or a new bucket etc. We even cut back on grain some and that is all we can cut back to save and the prices just keep rising!!!!


Wow, I am so sorry  I definitely understand though! I am a stay at home mom, so we have a very tight budget for the goats. Now that they all have babies we are going through about 4 bags of grain every 2 weeks, and hay too. I can't even remember how many bales we've gone through in the last month! We buy 6-15 at a time depending on if we hook up the trailer or just put it in the SUV <we buy from a farmer down the road>, and then the alfalfa we purchased late last summer we're about 1/2 way through that now.

I planned on starting the kids does on rice bran oil and backing off of the hay but may not be able to do it until next month  Looks like ABGA or USBGA is going to get a big chunk of the $$ I had planned to use for Rice Bran Oil, and some other stuff this month. I planned to get the kids new clippers or put back $$ and get them next month. I'm so upset over the whole IBGA thing...UGH! Very frustrating.

Anyway, my husband works on a horse farm, so when we need a bucket, he can usually find a good bucket at the farm that was destined for the trashcan. He brings home buckets that supplements come in, etc. 
They were going to throw out the big, corner tub feeders because they were the hard plastic & not rubber! Absolutely nothing wrong with them! So they let him have them, and now we have about 5 of those, they are awesome, we use them for hay, tie them up in the corners, etc. We use them at the kids 4-H shows - set them in the corner and fill them with hay, and the goats are happy


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## william173339 (Feb 2, 2013)

Hey, I'm new to the forum. I saw your post and it caught my attention. You said that the doe seemed kind of sunk in near the hips, I had the same exact problem.I got a doe about six months ago that seemed riny. Tried feeding her for 3 months and she wouldn't put on a bit of weight. After that I said to myself, I know exactly what will get it. I buy a 50 compressed brick of alfalfa and give her a 1 inche thick piece every 2 days with one scoop of feed per day. If that's a little pricey I also buy a 5 pound bag of black sunflower seeds and mix it with a 50lb bag of feed to where its evenly divided throughout the feed. The black sunflower seeds are great for the does feeding needs and also very healthy for her milk to feed her kids.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks William! We do have alfalfa hay, but not the kind your talking about. She was just getting clover/grass hay and grain, but has been getting alfalfa the past week, and more grain w/less clover/hay. 
I've used BOSS in the past and really liked using it. I may start them on BOSS, and finish off with Rice Bran Oil. We're thinking we'll start really getting with trying to get them in shape later this month. But I may go ahead and start the thinner doe on BOSS or Rice Bran Oil now.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

We'll be weaning soon. All the babies have access to Alfalfa hay, I am down to 3 bales and don't plan to buy more alfalfa hay until the end of summer for next years kidding season.

I'm planning to switch over to alfalfa pellets. Figured this would be good for the wethers too?

I also asked as a random question on a facebook group, trying to get some different ideas on giving them more protein since I'd heard 18% is best for wethers. I'd like to be able to use the cocosoya that Dani mentioned, but not sure how to raise the protein in a cost effective way.
Since I had planned to give the 4-H does and pregnant doe alfalfa pellets....

I'd love some thoughts on this so we can figure out what fits our budget.
Someone had mentioned showrite m-n-m, but I"d have to find it locally per bag and it's $35, which IMO isn't that bad, a bag would last about 33 days if we fed 8oz per day per wether.

As soon as the weather improves a little I'll start working on things in their pen they can climb on/play on so when we start weaning they'll still get some exercise <in the woods, they have lots to climb & play on>.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Calf manna is good for protein too. 

You can also try cotton seed hulls and soy beans. They're both excellent sources of protein. If you gave a feed mill near you it would be fairly easy to get


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## autumn_lankford (Mar 5, 2013)

With show wethers. We feed a purina exclamation supplement with a purina protein supplement. Not the cheapest but you get the results. The feed is about $18 a bag. The supplement is $30 for 25 lbs, but you only give 2-3 ounces a day.


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