# "All purpose feed"?



## Granolamom (Feb 22, 2009)

My little herd consists of the following:
A small Pygmy/Alpine doe with her 7 week old buckling kids (to be weathered this week)
2 six month old Boer sisters
A 4-year old Alpine doe in milk
What, if any, type of grain can I purchase that can be fed to all of them? I currently have them on Purina Goat Chow (yes, I know it's yucky, and I would like to find a better alternative). Someone suggested horse feed. Would that work for all 6? How much should each one of them get?


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

you can feed them all the same thing. I like a 16% feed best. Mine love sweet feed instead of a pellet feed. Tractor Supply Company carries a feed made by Dumor -- thats a good one


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## jdgray716 (Aug 8, 2008)

Agreed, you can feed them all the same. We mix our feed but before that we did a combo of sweetfeed, pellets, and a bit of BOSS mixed. Did us just fine.


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## Granolamom (Feb 22, 2009)

Why do people mix pellets and sweet feed? I've heard several folks mention that, and wondered why they would? Also, if I do feed the bucklings 16% feed, what about the chance of UC? Can I/ should I top-dress theirs with Ammonium Chloride (which I already have on hand)?


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

I am not completely possitive why everyone else does it but I am pretty sure its the same reason I used to before I started with what I have now. Sweet feed is only 12% protein I think so if you mix in the pellets which are usually 16-18% protein it ups the level of protein. But to get a true 16% feed to would have to use like an 18% feed and use a little more pellets to sweet feed.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I use Blue Seal Caprine Challenger...carried by my TSC, it's 18% and ALL of my goats get a ration of it...including my 2 bucks and 1 wether.
The loose mineral they get has added ammonium chloride and I have never had a case of UC.
I just ration the grain differently for each goat...my does in milk get 2 cups am and 1 cup pm, kids get what they readily eat in 10 minutes...usually it's 1/2 cup. Dry does get a hand ful once a day and the boys get 1 cup each once a day. This time of year the boys don't get grain as they have an entire pasture to eat.

As Stacey said, TSC also carries DuMor goat feed...the pellets as well as the sweet feed...I have used the DuMor sweet when they didn't have the Blue Seal, same texture and mine had no issues with it, I like the BS because it is cheaper and has a higher protein.


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## jdgray716 (Aug 8, 2008)

RPC said:


> I am not completely possitive why everyone else does it but I am pretty sure its the same reason I used to before I started with what I have now. Sweet feed is only 12% protein I think so if you mix in the pellets which are usually 16-18% protein it ups the level of protein. But to get a true 16% feed to would have to use like an 18% feed and use a little more pellets to sweet feed.


Yes this is the reason and we get the AC mixed in our feed for the boys but it looks like you have a great alternative with the sugestion above.


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## MiGoat (Apr 21, 2010)

If you feed alfalfa hay do you need to give a ration of high protein pellets?


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