# best hay



## cbou407 (Nov 11, 2009)

whats the best hay everyone likes to give there goats?


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

Now remember I am new to this but i give my goats alfalfa or an alfalfa grass mix. Due to the fact that alfalfa has alot of protein and I thought my does were prego so I wanted to make sure they got the best now I am just starting to think I have fat goats.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

you will get mixed answers because different areas have better quality hay of different types as well as people all raise different breeds and different ways. (ok thats a lot of "different"  )

For me and my area: Grass is best for bucks and wethers, alfalfa is good for milkers and pregnant does. Maiden does or non producers will no need an alfalfa hay - now if its real cold out they could benefit from it.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

My goats get alfalfa...mostly.....sometimes alfalfa oat mix is really good to....they also get oat hay or aflafa/ grass mix...it all depends on the time of year.... and if the does are preggo....and what stage of pregnancy they are in...... But be careful......... if you have bucks or wethers with Alfalfa ........as they can get.......... Urinary Calculi from eating it all the time.... :wink:


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## cbou407 (Nov 11, 2009)

well i give all my young show kids alfalfa when i feed them and to my pregnant does the last month or two before they kid. i should have been more specific and ask the best hay year round. such as bahia,bermuda,just mixed grass.


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

Depends on what kind of goats you have and what their job is. I fed my goats an orchard alfalfa mix and supplimented with alfalfa pellets. Some goats just need a local grass. Bucks should have little alfalfa hay. MIlkers are going to need a higher protein and high calcium hay.
beth


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## RowdyKidz (Apr 2, 2009)

Mine get the best Grass hay and that is all they will eat. It has all the nutrients they need and you don't have to buy seperate hay for bucks and does.  Plus it does wonders for my doe's coats.


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## mnspinner (Aug 13, 2008)

Mine are on a tim/clover mix and doing well. I've also fed orchard grass and a tim/alfalfa/birdsfoot mix. I supplement grass hay with alfalfa pellets to pregnant/nursing does.


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

Kind of depends on what is available for us. . . right now we are feeding 2nd and 3rd cutting Orchard/Timothy mix -- awesome hay that the goats LOVE!  It is really green and super fine-stemmed.

A good grass mix is great for feeding the "average" goat. The more variety, the better, usually.


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

I like to use 2nd or 3rd cut grass mix for an all purpose hay. The does get alfalfa near the end of their pregnancies and while lactating.


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## LomaVerdeBoers (Oct 4, 2009)

Around here we feed Alfalfa with a little grass/weeds in it. As long as its fresh our boers will eat it. I feed a little grain with it too.


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## CrossCreekTX (Aug 10, 2009)

Not really hay, but mine LOVE dried cornstalks. If for some reason I run out of hay, I can buy round bales of dried cornstalks very cheaply. They cleaned up my harvested corn patch. I didn't bother to cut the stalks, just turned the goats in. They are on excellent pasture of mixed grass, mostly coastal and crabgrass and access to an overgrown woodlot.


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## jay13 (Apr 12, 2009)

Alfalfa here runs $8 a bale and up! I can't afford it. Right now we are just feeding our girls orchard grass hay, whatever they feel like foraging in the fields (most is dead now tho) and a sweet grain mix with some sunflower seeds mixed in. The girls are hopefully preggo... do we really need to shell out for the alfalfa or will they be ok on what we have?


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## pennylullabelle (Nov 22, 2009)

I like alfalfa for any goat who is growing, pregnant, or lactating. So, goats less then two years old, prego does, lactating does, and kids. If and when I have boys older then 2 I will mix in some timothy/orchard mix to cut down on the protein levels and save their kidneys. 

I would recommend alfalfa at least in the last month of pregnancy and while they are lactating. It's really the best for them, as long as good quality alfalfa is available in your area. If you can find a grower who has protein levels tested and the grass is better, go with that for sure! But it'd have to be some pretty smuddy alfalfa...lol You can also look into pellets and cubes as a possibly cheaper alternative. If your goats will eat these you will have a lot less waste. My spoiled little chub-os won't touch them!


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## jaytori220 (Mar 24, 2009)

I fed free choice alfalfa then went to O&A to cut costs and feed free choice alfalfa pellets. Now to cut costs lower I feed coastal bermuda hay and free choice alfalfa pellets. Alfalfa here in my area runs $20 a bale. O&A runs anywhere from $15-$20 a bale and bermuda hay runs $7.50. So I have cut my monthly costs down quite a bit by changing hay since they always got the alfalfa pellets.


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## Tyler (Apr 26, 2009)

I feed out  grass/alfalfa mix.


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