# Feeding pregnant boer does



## Brink4 (Apr 29, 2013)

Looking for input on feeding pregnant does. Thanks!


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

I like to just give them as much grass hay as they'll eat, plus a little alfalfa for extra protein and calcium. Too much protein makes for oversize babies and higher risk kidding.


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

I will not say I know a ton but I will tell you how I have fed mine. Since all my does were in good weight while bred they got free choice grass hay and browse. Now when I got my 3 new does who were supposed to be bred but are not they were a little skinny so I started giving them 1 pound of grain split between all 3 once a day plus one flake of alfalfa hay once a day and then they had 2 acres of grass to eat. I only bought one bag of feed and once it was gone they were done with it. They are now a little over weight so they are back on grass hay and browse. You just want to make sure they stay in good condition and the last month or so is when the kids grow the most so if you feed them alot of grain the kids will grow really big and could be hard for the does to pass. As long as the does are in good condition you should not need to give them any grain until after they kid. Once they kid I really start giving them grain to help keep up milk production and to help them from loosing to much weight. I hope this helps but really you will learn what works best for you and your herd.


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## Brink4 (Apr 29, 2013)

Wild Hearts Ranch said:


> I like to just give them as much grass hay as they'll eat, plus a little alfalfa for extra protein and calcium. Too much protein makes for oversize babies and higher risk kidding.


Do you feed grain? If so do you feed premixed or do you have it specially mixed for you?


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## PowerPuffMama (Jan 8, 2013)

We feed free choice hay and a mix of sweet feed, pellets, alfalfa. They get the mix twice a day with adjustments for each doe based on current weight and where they are in their pregnancy. We choose to feed each doe separately to monitor how much they get but most people do not.


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

Not usually. I have a premix that I like for milkers, it's mostly timothy and alfalfa with a few other ingredients in small amounts. If I have a pregnant doe that's underweight I may give them a little bit separated from the others, not more than 2 cups. Overfeeding grain can cause pregnancy toxemia, as well as overgrowing the kids; hay is a much safer source of calories.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Our girls get free choice 3rd cut alfalfa 24/7. They don't get grain until they kid or just a little that last week before kidding, then throughout lactation.


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## Brink4 (Apr 29, 2013)

nancy d said:


> Our girls get free choice 3rd cut alfalfa 24/7. They don't get grain until they kid or just a little that last week before kidding, then throughout lactation.


 Just curious when you do start graining them either the week of or after kidding, what type of mixture do you utilize and do you feed BOSS at that time?


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

It is milled locally & is the same as Boer Goat Developer R20 by CHS Nutrition. (the R stands for rumensin at 20 g pr ton)
And yes, a handful of BOSS at each feeding.


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