# I think I'm starving my goats..



## BlueEyedFainters (Aug 18, 2012)

I have 2 adult fainterX's and 2 kid fainterXs.. The adults get 1c of pellets (dumor goat) in the am and pm, and the kids get 1/2c pellets in the am and pm. They all get 45min-1hr of free grazing in the morning and evening as well.. and I also give them a bucket of hay (I'd say 1 flake split between all 4?) daily.. 

Problem is.. they SCREAM at me to let them out to go free-graze some more. Are they hungry?? or just bored?? I don't wanna starve the little boogers.. I thought I was feeding them enough but it seems they don't think so?


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Sounds like they could use more hay. The Boer buck & wether get an armload almost everyday. THey doesnt always go through it all but it's there.

They could probably do more browse time as well.


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Yes..I agree, provide more hay or browse. I have 2 bucks together that get 1 flake in the am and they have some browse in their pen, they get broken haycubes with a cup of grain each once a day and another flake of hay at night.
5 does have a large pasture and get 2 flakes split in the am and pm, broken hay cubes in the afternoon and milkers get grain as does my 6 month old( she gets 1 cup 2x a day), 2 does and 1 wether get 1 flake split am, hay cubes afternoon a large pasture to browse.

All have freechoice minerals and not one is underfed.


----------



## BlueEyedFainters (Aug 18, 2012)

thanks ladies..

the only reason I limit their free-time is because my property is not fenced and I have to sit out there with them. I have 70 acres of hardwoods, but only 1 acre of mowed grass.. the goats disappear. I do watch them like hawks for a couple reasons, 1) they're new to this land and don't want them to wander too far, 2) we're known for fox, yotes, cats, etc here..

they do love their hay- they eat it all, stems and all. I will up their free time and hay- maybe I can watch them from the kitchen window while I work instead.


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

If you have the funds... an electric fence works to keep them contained in an area you want them to browse in and it's moveable/ I have a semi permanent fence with fiberglass posts and 4 strands of hotwire to enclose pastures.

Also... stock panels with t-post support are moveable and can be set up fairly easy into browse pens.


----------



## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

You should see some left over hay after their feedings. I do think you need to increase their feed...they'll be quiet and much happier, healthier goats when they're getting enough to eat. :thumb:


----------



## BlueEyedFainters (Aug 18, 2012)

This whole ordeal has been trial and error.. I must admit, I was NOT prepared for these guys. I wanted 2 kids (doe and wether, no babies, no milking, no drying off, no nothing)...I got a herd of 4 (this one needs this, this one needs that, these ones need to be seperated)! 

Eventually with enough questioning I'll re-gain my marbles and get on a steady and healthy routine for them. I do appreciate the advice given!

I can't run an electric fence at this time- we had loggers come through last year and they did a HORRIBLE job with their cleanup. We have tree tops, ruts, downed trees, just a mess everywhere, Allbeit the goats love playing on it all- it's just not fesible at this point to run any type of fencing back there.


----------



## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

:thumb: It takes awhile to get ahang of it...i'm glad you're asking questions and I can tell you're really trying and taking advice openly...nice to see that. It will take a bit to get going...but once you do, it all will seem much more simple and easy. :hug:


----------



## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

We all have been there. Yes it can be a learning process but you will get it.

Just remember goats are ruminants and they need to eat like 15-20 times a day to keep their rumen active, so free feed is best.


----------



## BlueEyedFainters (Aug 18, 2012)

sweetgoats said:


> We all have been there. Yes it can be a learning process but you will get it.
> 
> Just remember goats are ruminants and they need to eat like 15-20 times a day to keep their rumen active, so free feed is best.


The problem is- if I just leave food in the pen, they eat it- ALL. I really think if I left them with food all day they'd eat themselves to death.


----------



## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Goats waste a lot of hay unfortunately...if they are eating everything...they definately aren't getting enough. You should always have a little something available for them to eat on throughout the day. :thumb:


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Kw is right, see how much waist there is and go from there. It is trial and err, they will waist some hay, but it also should not be a lot. I know when the my goats get locked up they are bored and scream their head off even though they still have a lot of feed. Maybe if they are healthy looking and they are just bored you could get some grass hay or something for them to munch on when bored. Another thing, again if they are getting enough to eat, is make it where they have to work at it to get the hay out. I made a feeder where they have to pull the hay out of no climb wire and it lasts longer and less waist. Also if you have had the goats for awhile you could post a pic and see what people have to say about if they are fat enough. And you will get the hang of it soon


----------



## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Before we got our property safely fenced, we would make a large containment square that we could move about. 4 large livestock panels that were all clipped together. Big Boers don't usually try to climb out of these things but I am not sure about other goats. The panels are so long that you need at least 4-6 post to stable them. Its sometimes more work than needed to try unless you have a good browse area to put them around.


----------



## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

They scream at you because it works. What you say you are feeding
them might actually be enough to maintain their weight but goats are
greedy and they want more. I have several goats that get special fed
in various ways and they are the loudest most demanding even though
they are getting fed *more* than the others. You can either feed more
hay or fence off some pasture. Even then it will take awhile before they
shut up because old habits die hard.


----------



## BlueEyedFainters (Aug 18, 2012)

They're definitely not skin and bones.. they look of good size- mom is the only one I can sorta see her hips on. The buck is solid and the kids are plump little furballs.

Could they be over-eating now that they're actually getting feed? At their last home it looked like they were constantly in competition for feed with 2 big sheep.

I've just been presenting their hay in buckets for whenever they want it. I went to TSC for a hay feeder but they had none in stock so I'm just waiting. These goats aren't typical- they eat anything whether it be hung, on the ground, doesn't matter- they don't waste anything. They also sleep on the ground! I thought goats liked to sleep 'up' off of the ground. These guys paw the dirt/sand and nestle down for the night together.

They're just so different from what I've read about 'how goats act' and I'm just making sure it's not something I'm doing wrong.

They're here. They're cared for. Just making sure it's the proper care!
This was them a couple days ago:


----------



## BlueEyedFainters (Aug 18, 2012)

My problem with panels is that the ground is so uneven... and these guys are proven escape artists! They duck under fencing, they've climbed chain link.. they're very smart.

I'm starting to think they take me for a sucker... are goats smart like that? I know my dogs have me trained (admitting is the first step...lol)..


----------



## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

BlueEyedFainters said:


> My problem with panels is that the ground is so uneven... and these guys are proven escape artists! They duck under fencing, they've climbed chain link.. they're very smart.
> I'm starting to think they take me for a sucker... are goats smart like that? I know my dogs have me trained (admitting is the first step...lol)..


Goats are smart like that.. I've found a hot wire strategically placed
on an existing fence cures a lot of problems. Keep after it. You can
outsmart them. BTW. They are cool looking. They look pretty 
healthy too.


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Goats are so funny its not even funny, it even gets them in a lot of trouble lol. I dont know much about fainters but I would say they look good to me, actually really good. Maybe in their pen you could make some kind of 'play area' for them. Im sure they are bored out of their mind and they know how fun it is to be wild and free when you take them out. Maybe you could get one of those horse hanging feeders made of rope and hang it up so you could put some hay in it and it would be a fun game for them to try and work to get it out. I dont know, all I can tell you is they dont look at all like you are starving them lol.


----------



## BlueEyedFainters (Aug 18, 2012)

As always- thanks for the compliments!

I'm looking into a moveable electric fence.. They love their free time and I don't wanna have to keep them penned for their safety all the time.

I will definitely try to build them a more entertaining way of eating.. I'm pretty handy with woodshop tools and it would be fun for me too  

I was watching them more last night and I noticed they were WAY more active after giving them more feed.. as if they said 'woohoo we're full!'

Tink, the small white doe, was bolting around jumping off of things, super-maning off of stacked spools.. honestly I thought she may have gone crazy. And little Brucie Brute decided he wanted to use his tarp as a slide. :shrug: They haven't acted like this before so maybe it's a good thing! I've definitely upped their food today and they seem rather content and not 'bahhing' at me so much.


----------



## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Those panels are hard to put up on uneven ground. We were so glad when we got our fences up.


----------



## Goat Mom (May 1, 2012)

We have the electric net fence for our goats and it works great. Our yard is a jungle of blackberries, so we just put it up around all the obstacles and move it when the goats have cleared the area. It's very flexible for working around piles.


----------



## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

mine have free choice hay buT when THey see me THey sTill scream To give THem grain or leT THem ouT To brouse. They geT To be ouT for aT leasT a few hours every day (unless iT is raining). They like TO manipulaTe us someTimes. 
buT yes one flake does noT sound like near enough for 4.


----------



## Boondachs (May 11, 2012)

My kids all scream the second I get home from work everyday. My little Chewy (buck) is such a total mouth, he will even holler at me if he sees me in a window in the house.

A question on the moveable electric fencing; how well does everyone find that it works? I have 2 separate permanent yards, but have other areas that I would really like to allow them to browse in, but after reading all the stories of goats and fencing, a temporary fence makes me a bit nervous. Do you only use it if your able to be home with them to check on them?


----------



## pdpo222 (Jun 26, 2011)

My goats quit eating when they are full. I have gone in and the hay feeder is still half full and they are laying down chewing cud. I give the two pygmy does a big flake in the morning and at night. The pygmy buck gets a flake both times. I check in the afternoon if they are out I will give another flake to the does and usually the buck will get a small flake. I find out this is how they like it, they don't cry, and they know the schedule. I don't feed any grain right now but will start since I plan to breed them. They have the medicated salt all the time. I feed second cutting hay because they wasted so much of first cutting hay with what they wouldn't eat. It's really cheaper for me in the long run. You will find out how much to give them, it really depends on the goat. What they want. lol The goats and I finally hit on a a schedule we can all live with. Water of course always.


----------



## Thesoapmaster (Jan 12, 2010)

You may want to make a goat-proof feeder to put hay in and keep goats out. Then you could put a half a bale of hay or so in it and they could eat what they wanted, when they wanted to. It doesn't have to be fancy, just sturdy. That too is trial and error. Good luck with it all.


----------



## merlinsmuse (Apr 11, 2010)

The photo of your goats is adorable. They look healthy to me. As for the food question, it's hard to say as there are so many variables:age, gender, breed, time of year, size, just to name a few. Generally speaking, I try to give my goats about 4% of their body weight, just as a guide. The funny thing is that at that, I have a couple of goats who are always fat, most of them nicely round, and a couple who can look almost thin until they fill up. I keep an eye on their bellies to judge and know they've had enough when the thin ones start to round out nicely. The problem I find is that they will eat EVERYTHING I put out, so I have had to get good at judging how much they should be eating and only put that out. No matter how much hay I put in the feeder, they eat it all. With my 10 wethers and 2 does I go through 2 1/2 rounds of hay per month and they get a small amount of grain daily as well. I also get them out grazing whenever possible during the nice weather. We have 50 acres as well, but the barnyard is the only place that's actually properly fenced, the rest of the fencing was done for cattle. So unless I take the goats for a walk, I can't trust them or the dogs out without worrying about them wandering to the house, cars, on the road etc. I take a book and read while they graze in the fresh hayfields, or as they prefer, in the cedar bush. Whenever we trim out trees, which are mainly cedar, we throw it into the barnyard for them or let them out to eat the pile. They will strip the branches right down to bare, white wood in no time. Anyway, generally speaking, 3-5% of body weight for food is what is usually suggested, but I think you get to know your goats and just judge accordingly. Make sure they are getting enough selenium and Thiamine in their diets for sure...very important. if you have wethers, they benefit greatly from ammonium chloride in their diet as well. 
Sorry, I guess I've rambled and am not sure if I helped any.


----------



## Thesoapmaster (Jan 12, 2010)

Lets deal with all the issues this goatparent is having. Do your goats have shiny coats, healthy pink around their eyes and pink lips? Can you lay your fingers in the spaces between their ribs, can you count their vertebrae? If you can't or can't even see the ribs, you are doing a wonderful job and your goats just love you so much they are hollering for you to come and join them so that their herd will be complete. Whether you are a man or a woman, you are the queen of this little herd. They bonded to you, love you and miss you. In their world, you don't need to go to work to keep the grass under their feet or the hay that they eat. You are just there for them.Thinking about it this way will make it easier for you. The herd is only complete when you are in the middle of it.

Now lets deal with the issues of electric fence. You can buy very good quality electric wire fences from Kencove fence in Blairsville, Pennsylvania or you can get it from any of a bunch of other sources too. They are a top quality company and great to answer fence questions too. I am 63 and took up farming at 49, I put up 10 acres of electric fence by myself and 4 years later the only problem I have is keeping weeds down along the fence. No excapes, nobody tangled in it. After a few "hits" the goats stay away from it and it achieves its purpose. The portable electric fence is about 160 feet in one roll and makes a good sturdy temporary fence to control the brousing of goats. I put two together and made a huge temporary pen. I still use them during the breeding season when I have extra does in for stud service and don't want to intermingle herds or risk contamination from/to someone elses' goats.


----------

