# How do you feed your goats in the winter??



## Ali_1010 (May 8, 2011)

Well, for the longest time I was feeding one flake a day, as I just had 2 little ND kids and a toggenburg kid. It didn't occur to me until about a month ago that all my kids have grown up and I added a new (pregnant) doe to the herd, so I probably should start feeding more. :idea: I began to realize my goats were all a little on the skinny side, so I bumped it up to 2 flakes a day, and then they often are let out to graze on brush and whatnot. HOWEVER, I realized i'm going through hay two times faster, and this is REALLY hurting my wallet. I have nowhere to store hay as well, and even though I live in CA hay prices are going to be jacked up I assume. 

I bought some alfalfa pellets and I was wondering...could I suppliment half a flake at each feeding with alfalfa pellets? For instance, just give them a half a flake and then a bunch of pellets? Would this be economical? 

How do you all afford to care for your goaties in the winter time? :hair:


----------



## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

This winter I will be supplimenting some beet pulp along with their hay and see how that works. I have feed BP to one of my mares, so since it will be on hand I thot I would give it a try.

A bag of pellets is expensive here, so that is out of the question for me. Maybe towards the end of the does pregnancy, but not all winter!


----------



## peggy (Aug 11, 2010)

It is expensive to raise goats there is no way around it. At this point for me it is a losing proposition but hopefully when they kid and I have milk products to supplement the household and a few kids to sell it won't hurt so bad. I do supply the best alfalfa hay that I can get for my goats and it is available to them at all times. I give them a bit of grain for a treat as none are milking. As for the beet pulp, I don't know about that as I have never used it, I do have a friend that uses it instead of grain but I think that it should not be used in place of grain although it does supply fiber, protein and energy to the diet, it doen't supply as much energy to the diet as grain and should not be used as a substitute. I know a lot of people use alfalfa pellets but there again I have never used them. So maybe someone else can give you a better idea on how to be a little more economical with the goats diet.


----------



## JessaLynn (Aug 30, 2009)

I close my eyes and hand my soul over to the hay guy :laugh: it's expensive no doubt but that's why it's important to budget properly.When you sell kids you SAVE that money for when you need feed.We also do herdshares so that money goes back to my goats needs.I don't know how or why people do it with any animal that doesn't earn it's keep.Meaning they aren't profitable just sucks up all your income for no reason but to just have them :shrug:


----------



## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Alfalfa pellets can be added to the diet but I feel hay is always needed for roughage unless there is good brouse. 
I am not sure if pellets would be more cost effective or not.


----------



## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Please make sure y7ou are feeding your goats enough. I know of two people that have lost goats because the goats were thinner then they thought and by the time they noticed it they were about gone.

It is really important to have free choice hay out for them, that is how they stay warm. Eating the hay gets their rumen working and that keeps them warm.

Please people feel your goats and make sure their body condition is not going down.


----------



## Jessaba (May 13, 2010)

I'm lucky our neighbor has goats and bales his own hay and offered to let us get hay from him.....

although it has become a fight because he wont let us pay for it...we appreciate him being so nice, but he puts LOTS of hard work into the hay especially since he uses the round bales, but did square bales for us because its easier for us to manage. LOL! :laugh: We were paying 8 bucks a bale at the feed store, and would be willing to pay anything...

turns out we are gonna have to start buying him cartons of cigarettes in exchange for hay :laugh:


----------



## mtmom75 (May 19, 2011)

I have 3 ND does, and right now I give them 1 flake of good grass hay a day (but it takes them about 2 days to eat it all), and I make a grain mix of mostly alfalfa pellets and some dry COB and BOSS, and they each get 1/2 cup of that mix in the morning and 1/2 cup in the evening. They're definitely not hurting for nutrition right now. If anything they're a little on the chubby side lol. Our weather hasn't gotten very cold yet, so I might find I have to increase this once the weather cools. I was feeding alfalfa hay, but they wasted way too much of it because they would just pick through and eat the leaves and leave all the stems. Grass hay works out much better for us.


----------



## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

It is hard, especially if you do not have storage. We finally found some good pasture hay at a decent price and bought as much as we could store. We still have some alfalfa but will no doubt have to buy some at feed store prices as winter progresses. YIKES!!!!very high
As to pellets, I think you will find that they are actually more expensive. We know a guy who raises rabbits and feeds them alfalfa hay as the pellets cost so much.
Something we have done in the past but have not had luck with this year is winter squash crops. We used to get a ton of pumpkin for $10. That works really well at cutting down the feed bill and they store well outside once the weather is cold.
Like you, my herd has grown up a lot in a year. Last year at this time we had 4 does a buck and a wether and they were mostly pretty young. Now they are all grown and I have added 4 more does and another wether. Thank goodness hubby has been bringing in some money.


----------



## coltrule (Mar 24, 2011)

right now im feeding my goats..(there is 10) 2 reg scoops on sweet feed twice a day ..with hay twice a day..and there is a big field for them to go in..but its turning into winter..so lol. of course there getting a little chubby..but i like them a little on the chubby side lol


----------



## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I personally think free choicing hay through the winter is the only way to go. Underfeed and you're going to have higher chances of health issues arrising. 

You'll have to play around with what works for your herd. Each herd is going to be a little different in feeding routines and needs of their goats...you really need to experiment to find what will work best. Goats are expensive to feed...there's really no way to lower your feeding bill through winter. Just have a good feeder for minimal hay waste and hope that it's a mild winter! Unfortunately, I think we're lookin' at a pretty nasty winter this year.


----------



## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

I was going to try the BP as an extender to my hay. I do that with the horses. Does woun't be in the last stages of pregnancy til March, so I was not going to feed grain until then. Right now, I feed hay twice a day, a grass mix. In the morning they take a few bites then go out wandering to eat what ever they can find that is left. In the evening they come running like they are starving to death! All morning hay is gone and they are ready for their dinner. I feed a bit more at night as they are locked in their pen. As the winter progresses and snow is one the ground, I will still open their gate, but I doubt they will even wander outside much. So, More hay! 

Kylee: I think we are in for a long cold winter too!


----------



## Ali_1010 (May 8, 2011)

Jessaba said:


> I'm lucky our neighbor has goats and bales his own hay and offered to let us get hay from him.....
> 
> although it has become a fight because he wont let us pay for it...we appreciate him being so nice, but he puts LOTS of hard work into the hay especially since he uses the round bales, but did square bales for us because its easier for us to manage. LOL! :laugh: We were paying 8 bucks a bale at the feed store, and would be willing to pay anything...
> 
> turns out we are gonna have to start buying him cartons of cigarettes in exchange for hay :laugh:


8....dollars...a bale...at the feed store? o.0 I pay $18.50/bale of Alfalfa #2(Has some orchard grass mixed in). Yikes!! :O


----------



## BillyMac (Nov 3, 2011)

i got bales of alfalfa at $3.00 per bale here. We have a lot of hay fields and other agriculture in Minnesota and decent hay can usually be found year round. I never see it higher than $3.50. I picked up 75 bales but the farmer said they were going fast and that trucks were coming from Texas to take them. I have had good luck searching craigslist for hay.


----------



## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Yep unfortunately our babies arexpensive! If you can get dog or mini horse or foal rugs to put on them it keeps them warm so the feed goes to keeping them in good condition rather than keeping them warm so of course they need slightly less. Also a little bit of grain can cut down the amount of hay needed, provided your grain isnt too expensive. Chaff or hay pellets cut down on waste which can help if you get them for a reasonable price. Buying hay in bulk or in large bales can be cheaper. If you dont have a shed to store it put it ob a pallet and cover with a tarp.


----------



## ohiogoatgirl (Jan 31, 2010)

it is alot of hay... my family used to have 6 milking does, 2 bucks, and kids until they were all sold. I don't think we could have done it if we had not made our own hay. I'm not sure that I would have my goats unless I did my own hay. I love them but I don't like the idea of buying hay at all... though I also realize it is not possible for everyone to make their own hay.
my goats also have free range over 5 acre pasture. and they get feed at milking time.


----------



## myfainters (Oct 30, 2009)

I free feed my goats hay... we are going through 4 bales of #1 alfalfa and 2 bags of alfalfa pellets weekly at this point. It is DEFINITELY pricey....but I can't stomach looking at a skinny goat. ( We have 18 goats, 6 of which are heavily prego) I can't wait until they kid in December but that also means feed will be going up as well......sigh.


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I have "special" hay feeders made for my does since I have had ALOT of waste in recent years and went through ALOT of hay for just a small herd of at most 9.....I feed 1 flake split between feeders in the AM, 3 boys get 1/2 flake....afternoon, specific does get 1 cup grain each and they all get broken up alfalfa cubes, boys each get 1 cup grain and a half flake split between all 8, I repeat hay amounts in the PM....at this point, the pastures still have some browse and I don't have skinny goats. I simply cannot afford to give hay free choice at this time. Once the weather actually gets cold enough for me to have to close the pastures I will give more hay but for right now, they all are very content with what they get.


----------

