# Grain feeding young kids?



## CrazyBear (Jul 22, 2011)

I'm doing my best to do "natural grass fed" meat. But I was really pushed by a friend that got me started into goats, to grain my newborn kids as soon as they would take it. Using a creep feeder. Her focus in goats is more heavily into top show quality boer's, rather then grade quality meat goats. (She spent $3500 on her most recent buck, and hes as big as my pony!!!!  )

So I'm wondering, I'm sure my kids would get bigger faster to a larger size, over time, if I grained them. But would the increase in profit from their larger size and quality be at all offset by the cost of the grain? I do NOT want to just give these goats away for zero net profit. If I spend money on grain, I want the increase in their size to more then compensate for the cost of the grain and the added effort of graining them.

And also the necessity of graining their mothers while their giving milk. The goats are all on Alfalfa hay, and they have 5 different sources of minerals of all sorts. They seem to be giving enough milk to keep the babies with full bellies. Would the grain for the mothers increase the quality of their milk enough to really give a difference for the babies that would compensate for the massively increased cost?


Thanks all!


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

This is in some ways a mater of preference. If your goats are of good weight and there is milk supply enough for the kids you may not need grain. 
I always grain my bred does and lactating does and kids until 1 year old. 
Actually everyone gets some grain year round.


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