# Any reason why a goat won't eat hay?



## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

My 10 month old boer doe has stopped eating hay? When I got her this past summer she loved alfalfa. She quit eating that but ate grain and coastal hay good so I kinda let it go. But now she's starting to not even eat the coastal hay. She used to eat the heck out of it! She's hyper, eats all her grain and grazes/browses. Should I be worried about the hay?


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

How much grain are you feeding her?


----------



## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

No its not normal, goats need the long stem hays to have a properly functioning rumen..How much grain does she get and what is in her graze? I would stop or lower her grain and encourage the hay..Give daily Probiotics, also watch to see if she is chewing a cud, having rumen noise, gas and burps...

Of course if she has quality graze she maybe getting all she needs, so then I wonder why feed additional hay/alfalfa?

Is she well other wise? drinking pooping berries, bright eye and alert?


----------



## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Het and her sister share grain. I don't know the exact weight but it's about 5lbs during the day to share and 1lb each at night. I've been feeding them like this since June and they've been in the same small pasture area. The graze isn't great which is why I give hay but they have tons of leaves to eat. She's chewing cud, hyper, pooping and peeing good. I feel like she's just really picky bc if it's super fresh she will eat it. But my other doe eats it all the time


----------



## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

That sound like an awful lot of grain for young, I'm assuming dry, does. They're probably just filling up on the grain, and that's not good for their rumens. Cut back on grain, and give them free choice hay, minerals and water. That's really all they need......


----------



## sbhministry (Oct 12, 2012)

We have a diva that is very picky. She prefers grain and fresh grass. She will only eat hay if she has to. We have a small graze area and doesn't care for the grass that grows there. The other 7 eat it fine. We pay to have fresh grass cut. She eats the leaves and leaves the stalks. She love cactus and certain tree leaves. We've had her for years and is the herd queen. She's spoiled.


----------



## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I agree..thats a lot of grain andif she is picky she will eat the feed over the hay..
Cut the grain way back and see how she does...Add loose minerals as suggested : )


----------



## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

They have minerals too. I show them and that's what both the breeders suggested is to give them what they'll eat. But I'll try cutting back to see if it helps. Even when I get there in the evening they've finished most if the grain and she will kill me trying to get to the grain I have in my hand for her dinner


----------



## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

They are piggies lol..


----------



## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Tell me about it! I'll weigh their grain this morning


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree with what has been said.


----------



## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Okay so I got there this morning and I feed them 5lbs of grain (I'm a good guesser lol) but last night she didn't eat grain but she ate hay!! I think she's moody and picky lol


----------



## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Mine will do that too. As long as she acts good and all then don't worry. She knows what she needs. She probably stops eating it when it isn't fresh. 

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Goat Forum mobile app


----------



## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Thanks everyone!


----------

