# How much straw?



## Erik_L (Nov 27, 2012)

I'll be getting my three goats very shortly, maybe this weekend. 
Recent readings here indicate I should fill them up on HAY before letting them out to browse. How many square bales of HAY will a yearling and two just weaned doelings eat? Or&hellip; I suppose I should ask how quickly will they go through a bale? Browse is plentiful, but I don't want them to bloat. 
While I'm still looking for a good source, (corrected) TSC sells bales of Timothy HAY or compressed alfalfa, so please estimate using that as a base. 

Thanks!


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

No not straw. Thatis for the bedding. They need Hay to eat before they go out to graze.


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## Erik_L (Nov 27, 2012)

Thanks Sweetgoats. Hay, then. 

I corrected the original post. 
This is why I like this forum. I learn things all the time.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

A wild guess here. Two or three at the most.
Let's trade herds!


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## Erik_L (Nov 27, 2012)

Two or three over what period of time?

Erik


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Oops, left that part out. Per week.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I go through about a bale and a half a week and I have 4 full size goats. They are out eating a little but we have been so dry there is not anything to really eat out there.


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## Erik_L (Nov 27, 2012)

"Dry" is not the problem! LoL


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## PiccoloGoat (Sep 10, 2008)

I would just buy a couple of bales and see how fast they go through it and figure it out from there.


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## elchivito (Apr 18, 2010)

figure 2-3 pounds / day for your yearling. I have no idea what a square bale weighs. I have 11 full sized Toggs, no appreciable browse and they eat 2 80lb bales of Alfalfa and 2 100lb bales of Timothy a week. 
It would be wise to do an assessment of your lush looking browse and find out to what extent the plants growing there are LEGUMES. Legumes are what will bloat your animals, particularly when damp.


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## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

Are you looking at full size goats or minis? I have two ND does and with minimal browse, they go through a bale of alfalfa about every 1.5-2 weeks. Through the winter, they've also gone through about a bale of orchard grass each month (roughly - I feed it as a supplemental evening feeding, less than a flake at a time). They also get some grain/beet pulp/BOSS at morning feeding. I haven't been forced to try the compressed bales yet. Seems like an expensive way to go, not that alfalfa is cheap no matter how you do it. I was fortunate to find someone who brings a semi-full over the mountains and sells it for $15/bale. Our feed stores usually charge closer to $20, sometimes more.


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## Erik_L (Nov 27, 2012)

FarmerJen said:


> Are you looking at full size goats or minis?


I'm going to start with two Boer doelings and one Spanish/Boer yearling doe.


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## GTAllen (Jul 22, 2012)

The plants with the large leaves in your picture my goats love to eat when they are smaller and when they bolt.


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## Sylvie (Feb 18, 2013)

Erik_L said:


> View attachment 27994
> 
> 
> "Dry" is not the problem! LoL


I want to say that plant is called Plantain, or Plantago, but I'm not sure. We have it all over our property, and my goats will sometimes eat it.


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## Erik_L (Nov 27, 2012)

I hope they like it. I've got plenty of them. I've also got a couple of large patches of honeysuckle waiting on them.


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