# Complete goat feed recipe... Anybody have one?



## VillageCreek

Does anyone have a complete goat ration recipe? If you do, and you don't mind sharing, by all means post it! Don't forget to include how much you feed! I think it will be a benefit to many to discuss feeding and nutrition here on The Goat Spot.


----------



## margaret

I mix my own feed and this is the recipe that I use:
150 lbs Alfalfa pellets
50 lbs oats
25 lbs Steam rolled barley
15 lbs BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds)
10 lbs soybean meal.

I have Alpines and my milking does get about 4-5 lbs a day. 
Doelings and yearling get 2 lbs a day.
Bucks get 1 lb a day during breeding season.
I know some people don't feed yearlings but I feel like she needs it.


----------



## kccjer

We mix our own too. 

300 pounds alfalfa pellets
300 pounds rolled corn
300 pounds oats
100 pounds roasted soybean halves
50 pounds BOSS
25 pounds Calf Manna
3 to 5% molasses to bind it together

We feed our milk does as much as they will eat on the milking stand. Our other does get between a couple handfuls each (when out on pasture) just to keep them sorta tame. And get approximately a 5 gal bucket between 8 of them when it's breeding time and when they have kids on.

In the summer our does are all out on a grass pasture and don't get any hay. When there is no pasture they get pretty much free choice hay. The hay is whatever we happen to have on hand....grass or wheat mainly. If we get lucky enough to pick up some reasonably priced alfalfa they'll get some of that too.

Any animal that is not holding weight gets put in a pen by themselves and fed more until weight is back up and we figure out why they are losing.


----------



## VillageCreek

Margaret, how much hay do you feed with this?


----------



## margaret

No hay right now, the does have plenty of pasture so they don't even want it.
When they do need hay they get free choice.
I also forgot to add that for my Nigerians I feed 2 lbs a day for milking does and 1 lb a day for kids.


----------



## Hollowdweller

300 lbs Purina Noble Goat Charge concentrate
200lbs Corn
100 lbs Rolled Barley
30 lbs oats
5% black oil sunflower
5" liquid molasses


----------



## bclev

These feeds work for meat goats as well????


----------



## VillageCreek

I would think these feeds would work for meat goats. You may want to add some protein supplement for optimum muscling.


----------



## Hollowdweller

VillageCreek said:


> I would think these feeds would work for meat goats. You may want to add some protein supplement for optimum muscling.


For meat goats I'm guessing less protein because they don't make milk as much.

My formula is about 18% so I wouldn't go any higher.


----------



## VillageCreek

I just tweaked my recipe. I think I'm going to start feeding this one:

10 parts oats
5 parts rice bran
6 parts alfalfa pellets
3 parts rolled barley
Up to .75% sodium bicarbonate, as always.

12% min. protein, 4.5% min. fat, 20% max fiber. 

I was looking for something to cut down on hay usage. What do you guys think?


----------



## happybleats

we do 6 parts whole oats 4 parts barley and 2 parts BOSS..mix well and serve one part mix with 3 parts alfalfa....( we used to do equal parts barley but goats got loose poo lol)..


----------



## happybleats

great one I love ( but we went no gmo) is

6 parts whole oats
2 parts calf manna
2 parts BOSS
1 part beet pulp...

mix and serve once part mix with 3 parts alfafa pellets...


----------



## VillageCreek

If you don't mind me asking, what's the avg price of alfalfa pellets in your area? Around here they're .36/lb, and alfalfa bales are HARD to find. Just wondering...


----------



## happybleats

alfalfa pellets now runs about $14 a 40# bag I believe .... we have paid $250 for a large 4x4x3 bale of alfalfa...but now we use mostly chafe hay.


----------



## Lily's Mom

If you google Sandy Lane, I use their feed recipee. It works well for meat and dairy goats. The big thing for me was the milk flavor we were getting from this over anything with corn or commercial blends.


----------



## Esther88

happybleats said:


> alfalfa pellets now runs about $14 a 40# bag I believe .... we have paid $250 for a large 4x4x3 bale of alfalfa...but now we use mostly chafe hay.


Not trying to steal the thread just thought I would pick your brain about a couple of things. I was just thinking today about switching my guys to alfalfa pellets instead of hay. (I feed my horses pellets) My doe seems like she wastes at least 50% of her hay and she loves pellets when I give them to her. How many lbs of pellets should be fed per day for a lactating doe if this is her main source of food other than the bermuda she has free choice? Also, what benefits does the beet pulp have for a lactating doe? I do feed it to my horses in the winter time. Does it need to be soaked prior to feeding if it's shredded?


----------



## VillageCreek

Esther, This is exactly why I created this thread. Let's discuss this. I've been wondering about this, also. The only hay we can find is pretty much terrible quality, but I guess it's better than nothing.


----------



## Esther88

VillageCreek said:


> Esther, This is exactly why I created this thread. Let's discuss this. I've been wondering about this, also. The only hay we can find is pretty much terrible quality, but I guess it's better than nothing.


Our hay quality is very variable here as well and it makes me want to cry seeing how much alfalfa just rots into the dirt :dazed: lol. I know I feed my horses 3 coffee can sized scoops of pellets twice daily along with a complete feed, rice bran, and beet pulp in the winter. I'm trying to get my doe's body condition a little better as she will be my son's show animal this spring. I'm thinking she is low on copper too. I see a lot of people on here feed BOSS I was just thinking of adding sunflower to her ration as well since I've heard it can increase the amount of butterfat (not sure if it's true) among other things. I didn't know you could feed rice bran, I may start that as well.


----------



## Esther88

VillageCreek said:


> If you don't mind me asking, what's the avg price of alfalfa pellets in your area? Around here they're .36/lb, and alfalfa bales are HARD to find. Just wondering...


Oh and I know this is irrelevant info since we don't live in the same area but I pay 14.00 for an 80 lb bag of pellets and 17.00 for a 100 lb bale.


----------



## ksalvagno

They still need long stem. So you really can't replace the pellets for hay. You can replace some of the hay for alfalfa pellets but not all of it.

No need to soak beet pulp. You need to be careful how much fat is in their diet so you only feed a small amount of BOSS or rice bran. I would not feed both.


----------



## VillageCreek

Esther88 said:


> Oh and I know this is irrelevant info since we don't live in the same area but I pay 14.00 for an 80 lb bag of pellets and 17.00 for a 100 lb bale.


I wish I could find the pellets for your price!!! That's like half what I pay!!!


----------



## Trickyroo

I pay almost $19. for a 50# bag of alfalfa pellets here in NY.
But on Long Island , everything is expensive 

I used the same mix Happybleats uses or this one..

3 parts whole oats
3 parts whole barley
2 parts calf manna
2 part BOSS
1 part beat pulp pellets

mixed to alfalfa pellets 3-7 cups


----------



## Esther88

ksalvagno said:


> They still need long stem. So you really can't replace the pellets for hay. You can replace some of the hay for alfalfa pellets but not all of it.
> 
> No need to soak beet pulp. You need to be careful how much fat is in their diet so you only feed a small amount of BOSS or rice bran. I would not feed both.


I feed both my horses and my goats bermuda everyday so wouldn't cut that out of the diet if I switched to alfalfa pellets. Would that be sufficient then?

Thanks for letting me know about the beet pulp. How much BOSS should I add to her daily grain ration? 1/2 cup? I thought I had heard mixed opinions on rice bran so may just keep that for the horses. Oh and how much beet pulp? I can't mix my grain in bulk, and I'm only giving grain to one doe so mix it each time I milk.


----------



## Esther88

VillageCreek said:


> I wish I could find the pellets for your price!!! That's like half what I pay!!!


I know it's a pretty good price. I'm surprised in MO you don't have better hay prices! We're here in the dry desert and I pay like 13.50 for an 80lb bag of 50/50 alfalfa bermuda pellets for my horses. It goes a lot further than the hay and it stores so easily. A bale of poor quality bermuda here is 18.00 bale though...


----------



## Esther88

Trickyroo said:


> I pay almost $19. for a 50# bag of alfalfa pellets here in NY.
> But on Long Island , everything is expensive
> 
> I used the same mix Happybleats uses or this one..
> 
> 3 parts whole oats
> 3 parts whole barley
> 2 parts calf manna
> 2 part BOSS
> 1 part beat pulp pellets
> 
> mixed to alfalfa pellets 3-7 cups


Ok here is another newbie question for you. I see all of you say you mix all of this with alfalfa pellets 3-7 cups per day. Is this only for your does on the milk stand or do you feed this to your dry does, and yearlings as well? Isn't grain a no no for wethers? Wow...I'm totally hijacking this thread! Somebody stop me if I'm being a pest. :dazed:


----------



## Trickyroo

Esther88 said:


> Ok here is another newbie question for you. I see all of you say you mix all of this with alfalfa pellets 3-7 cups per day. Is this only for your does on the milk stand or do you feed this to your dry does, and yearlings as well? Isn't grain a no no for wethers? Wow...I'm totally hijacking this thread! Somebody stop me if I'm being a pest. :dazed:


Ask away  I may have made a typo there. You would mix one cup of the mix to 3-7 cups of alfalfa pellets  I fed this to all my goats , but one of my bucks had a tummy issue one time and i switched them back to their pellets and alfalfa pellets . I feed my wethers grain as well , the same as the bucks and add ammonium chloride to it , never had a problem , knock on wood :hammer:


----------



## Trickyroo

Skyla , correct me if I'm wrong with the amount of alfalfa pellets to mix ratio ?


----------



## J.O.Y. Farm

My grain mix was 

3 parts whole oats
3 parts rolled barley
2 parts blue seal sunshine plus
1 part BOSS
9 parts alfalfa pellets

I fed this to does (both in milk and dry, I just varied the amount on the body condition of them.. They dry does didn't get much) and my bucks.. 
And when we had kids on the ground, they too got it (doe, buck and wether kids) 

As to giving wethers grain.. It just needs to be balance CA/PH 2:1 ratio.. The mix I used was balanced. But, you can also add AC to their grain or buy minerals that have AC to help prevent UC if you feel better about it


----------



## J.O.Y. Farm

I did half alfalfa pellets, half the grains.. And would add more alfalfa pellets ontop of what they were getting if i was trying to get more weight on them.


----------



## Trickyroo

That was it , thanks Skyla  I forgot the amounts , lol.
But my goats did great on it , just got to be a bit expensive and time consuming to mix it all. Having a bad back and arthritis , made it hard to do , so i switched back to pellets , BOSS and alfalfa pellets.
I would like to do it again if i could get it mixed for me.


----------



## J.O.Y. Farm

Trickyroo said:


> That was my mix , thanks Skyla  I forgot the amounts , lol.
> But my goats did great on it , just got to be a bit expensive and time consuming to mix it all. Having a bad back and arthritis , made it hard to do , so i switched back to pellets , BOSS and alfalfa pellets.
> I would like to do it again if i could get it mixed for me.




Same reasons for me switching back to the pelleted feeds as well..


----------



## ksalvagno

I would only give about 1/8 to 1/4 cup of BOSS.


----------

