# Strictly a feed question...



## lilfarmangel (Oct 24, 2012)

I was wondering what all y'all feed your milk does, 
1. Before they are bred
2. When they are preg.
3. And after they kid?
4. Do you give them anything special to "sweeten" their milk?

Thank you


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## JaLyn (Oct 10, 2012)

Well bailey is due in march and she's a ND and gets a half a cup of Purina Noble goat grower(it's medicated) next month she will be switched to a non-medicated os wwe can drink the milk, she also gets /2 cup of alfalfa pellets( i usually give alfalfa hay but i couldn't get anymore) and all the mixed grass hay she wants. This month i will gradually increase as she progresses. Oh and she gets that twice a day so 1/2 cup feed, 1/2 cup pellets twice a day and all the hay she wants.


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## lilfarmangel (Oct 24, 2012)

JaLyn said:


> Well bailey is due in march and she's a ND and gets a half a cup of Purina Noble goat grower(it's medicated) next month she will be switched to a non-medicated os wwe can drink the milk, she also gets /2 cup of alfalfa pellets( i usually give alfalfa hay but i couldn't get anymore) and all the mixed grass hay she wants. This month i will gradually increase as she progresses. Oh and she gets that twice a day so 1/2 cup feed, 1/2 cup pellets twice a day and all the hay she wants.


The "mixed" grass... is that just different grasses, or grass/alfalfa?


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## lilfarmangel (Oct 24, 2012)

Just to clear up why I'm asking, I have heard horror stories about giving dairy animals alfalfa and other high calcium feed/food because it throws off the calcium/phosphorus balance making them susceptible to milk fever. 
I've also heard that some dairy farmers doesn't give their cows any alfalfa what so ever with the exception of the day of and for several days after calving - as much alfalfa pellets & hay as the cow will eat. One dairy in particular (Misty Brook in central Mass.) claims to have had only had one case of milk fever in all the years of having cows. BUT, they also keep minerals available at all times free-choice.
Since I don't live in that area, I am trusting the word of a person who said she bought her milk cows from that dairy.
I realize I'm comparing apples to oranges, but wouldn't a certain amount of this information ring true for dairy goats as well?
Anyway, I'm not going to judge anyone's feeding routine, nor am I going to condemn anyone for making personal choices in feed.
This is all I'm interested in: (( To hear what you feed and why (or how) you came to decision to give your animals the type and quantity they receive.))
We all have reasons why we feed what we do, as well as why we give them as much (or little) as we do.
I don't plan on taking anything as "gospel" just reference, reserving the final decision, of what and how much to feed my animals, to my own judgement.

Besides, I thought this would be a great way to get to know everyone here and get an understanding of how different locations create different nurtitional needs.


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## JaLyn (Oct 10, 2012)

They need the calcium is why you feed alfalfa. I feed mine that amount because thats what it takes for them to maintain a good weight. The mixed grass isn't alfalfa mixed with grass, it's timothy fescue and the other went right out of my head just now grrr..i hate when that happens..oh crud..i will think of it after i end this post i'm sure of that lol..but mixed grass is just dif types of grasses.


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

Usually if a dairy doe does *not* have enough calcium is when they get milk fever ( hypocalcemia). Making milk and making babies requires a lot of calcium. Some heavy milking does if not given the right amount of calcium during their lactation will get milk fever.

All of my does get alfalfa twice a day, about 1 flake per goat. My dry does do not get any grain until they are about a month away from kidding then I give them about 1/2 lb of grain every day until the last few days before they kid when I slowly increase the amount to 1 1/2 lbs per day. After freshening does are fed 1 lb of grain for every 2 lbs of milk produced, so a doe who gives 8 lbs per day gets 4 lbs of grain. All of my mature does are still milking when they are bred so they are still getting their grain ration according to how much milk they are giving. If a doe is losing weight, I will increase her ration some to help her to keep some weight on as I don't like my does to be skinny while they are milking.

My grain is a mix of 2 parts whole oats to 1 part chopped corn. I put a little bit of molasses in it to reduce any dust and make it taste a little better to the goats. I don't give them anything in particular to sweeten the milk, all of my goats give good tasting, sweet milk as it is.


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## JaLyn (Oct 10, 2012)

Make sure when you are told what each of us feeds you check to see what goats we have..i have minis so don't feed as much as goat girl who has standard..and each goats needs are different as well. Some may require more to maintain a healthy weight as another may require less..as tme goes on you will find your happy medium. I have two does that are totally dif in size but eat the same amount of feed because one requires more as to the other requires less.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

JaLyn said:


> Make sure when you are told what each of us feeds you check to see what goats we have..i have minis so don't feed as much as goat girl who has standard..and each goats needs are different as well. Some may require more to maintain a healthy weight as another may require less..as tme goes on you will find your happy medium. I have two does that are totally dif in size but eat the same amount of feed because one requires more as to the other requires less.


That is so true. I try to check for that reason. I have replied with out specify first.


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## thomcarol (Feb 3, 2012)

We feed all of our does alfalfa. Before they are bred they get about a 1 1/2 quarts of feed a day, when they are bred they get about the same amount, and when they kid I start them on about 3-4 quarts of feed a day depending on how much milk they are producing. I mix my own feed of barley, oats, wheat bran and BOSS. These amounts are guidelines that I start with and make changes if I see that a goat is too plump or skinny. I have nubians that are between 150-190 pounds.


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

Why is alfalfa so important or helpful in milk production? I've noticed that a lot of big breeders feed a lot of alfalfa to their does, and just wondered why and how much it can affect milk production? Do most of you guys feed alfalfa to your milkers and if so, how much/ do you combine alfalfa and grass hay?


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## gafarmgirl (Jan 2, 2013)

Before pregnant if they aren't milking all stalk pellets or sweet. Then when they kid purine goat chow all my feeds are also non medicated. But for sweet milk I use alfalfa instead of hay. Cost more but it's better milk. That's just what I do .


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## thomcarol (Feb 3, 2012)

Alfalfa has a lot of protein which is needed to produce milk. So the more protein they have the more milk they give. I have only ever fed alfalfa to my does so I don't know what the difference is in milk production is vs someone feeding grass hay. Since alfalfa is getting so expensive ($18/bale) I am going to be experimenting with adding in grass hay.


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## goatiegurl*Oh (Nov 11, 2007)

Thank you for explaining.


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## upthecreek (Jan 6, 2013)

*feeding dairy goats*

We can't get Alfalfa hay in south Alabama to often so i use *Standlee Alfalfa pellets* , *Coastal Bermuda hay(free choice) , for my feed mixture i use *BOSS & sunflower hearts , safflower seeds , *oats , wheat , *shredded beet pulp , peas , flax seeds , few peanuts at certain times & *omolene 300(for milk & growth) i can't get Noble goat that is not medicated(evenTSC) , they also have vit/mineral/salt (free choice) . 
If one wants to know amounts i mix & how much i feed just let me know .

My Oberhasli will leave their feed pan looking for the Alfalfa pellets (lol)

Shannon
South Alabama


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## StinkyOlBuck (Nov 13, 2012)

We feed a little supplemental alfalfa to our goats but the bulk of their diet is green waste from local farmer's markets, tree branches and grass/weeds/willows, etc. I notice a bump up in production when we feed ficus, pumpkins and once a month spent brewing grains.

Tonight we fed our six goats two flakes of alfalfa, twenty pounds of grapes, twenty pounds of persimmons, and about forty pounds of mixed greens (corn husks, cabbage, carrot tops, kale, etc.)


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## upthecreek (Jan 6, 2013)

Wow that sounds like good eating for the goats !! 
You must have a bunch of them .

Shannon
South Alabama



StinkyOlBuck said:


> We feed a little supplemental alfalfa to our goats but the bulk of their diet is green waste from local farmer's markets, tree branches and grass/weeds/willows, etc. I notice a bump up in production when we feed ficus, pumpkins and once a month spent brewing grains.
> 
> Tonight we fed our six goats two flakes of alfalfa, twenty pounds of grapes, twenty pounds of persimmons, and about forty pounds of mixed greens (corn husks, cabbage, carrot tops, kale, etc.)


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