# Boer Goat breeders - what kind of hay do you feed?



## goatgirlzCA (Mar 9, 2011)

We are in our second year with goats, and I have always fed a forage type of hay. However, they waste ALOT of it. I am getting tired of cleaning out pens every other week.

I am leery of feeding only alfalfa, as it can contribute to UC, which I have had and never want to deal with again. But I am wondering if I can feed all the does just alfalfa and their pellets, and only feed the wethers their grain and a small amount of forage, like I am doing now. I would think alfalfa is more fattening than the forage, plus they probably don't waste much of it, so I would end up feeding less? 

I would be interested to hear what you feed.

Thanks!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I'm in KY so what we have here available is probably a lot different than what you have out in CA. However, mixed grass hay is quite popular here, then there is the alfalfa, timmothy and orchid grass hays. Right now we feed an Alfalfa/grass mix that is horse quality hay. We've fed Clover mix in the past and did fine with it. 
The adults do not waste this alfalfa/mix they LOVE it. The younger ones love it but they don't like 'crumbs' the leaves that fall off of it, stinkers, so when I empty their had tubs, I empty theirs into the adults feeder and they finish it off.

Are your goats wasting the hay because they don't like it? Or is it because of the hay feeder?


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## goatgirlzCA (Mar 9, 2011)

They pick what they want out of it, and leave the more straw like stuff. And of course, whatever falls to the grounds gets trampled and is no longer fit for them to eat they think. I have a standing hay feeder with a pan on the bottom, which has helped, but they still waste quite a bit.


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## caprine crazy (Jun 12, 2012)

My boer doe loves timmothy hay. We aren't able to get any right now. I wish we could because she didn't waste a whole lot of it. Whatever my doe wastes she ends of using as bedding, so we have to keep her house cleaned out. I don't know what type of hay we are using now.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Shoot I just replied to this & lost it.

We feed 2nd & 3rd alfalfa year round, the boys get either grass hay, 80/20 or 70/30.
No matter what kind of feeder you have there's going to be waste. If it's not too bad we toss it in the shelters.


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

I feed 1st or 2nd cutting alfalfa to bucks and does. Alfalfa by itself does not cause uc, an imbalance between calcium and phosphorous does. In addition to the alfalfa, they get 20% rb cattle pellets, which has zero balance for c/p, but they also get a well-balanced mineral and one or two bales of alfalfa/wheat mix hay per month. I've never had problems with uc, and everyone is growing quite nicely.


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## mmiller (Apr 3, 2012)

My goats are fed a grass mix. They eat most of it they do leave the longer tuffer stems. With my hay feeders I have very little waste but there is some just goes with it.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Alfalfa and oat hay... :greengrin:


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## Maggie (Nov 5, 2010)

We feed grass hay, usually orchard grass, first or second cutting. We feed small amounts of alfalfa to our does in milk and kids. In the summer we don't feed any hay.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Grass Hay mixture and expensive type Alfalfa.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Alfalfa to soon to be moms, moms with young kids, and older kids. I was feeding oat but my dad planted rye grain and the cows dont think much of it but the goats just suck it down. They try to waist but I dont give them more till they clean it up a bit. Since it is hot they would rather clean up the mess then go find other food. I always expect some waist but they can get out of control if you let them. I have been thinking about getting a few pigs to help out with the waist.....there is nothing as good as home grown pork


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

We bought a home raised pork.. had it butchered.. It was raised well and ate down a lot of pecans. It made the fat different than most pork.. it wasnt waxy like we have had before- more oily and was a different type of meat taste. We loved our 'pecan pork'.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

As far as the food goes and hay. We don't feed too much rich alfalfa without some sort of grass hay mixture. I sure wish we had more browse. We haul our son's house trimmings from their grapes, and trees to our property now and it is good for them as they have no where to haul it to.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Packhillboers: A lady I know got into goats a few years back and takes them to orchards to eat the grass and the little limbs that need to me cut off, she even gets paid for it since it cuts down on labor. If you have the time for that might be something to look into. Her son wants me to get into doing that but I dont have the time to sit with them and I will not leave them alone.


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## HamiltonAcresBoers (May 9, 2012)

packhillboers said:


> We bought a home raised pork.. had it butchered.. It was raised well and ate down a lot of pecans. It made the fat different than most pork.. it wasnt waxy like we have had before- more oily and was a different type of meat taste. We loved our 'pecan pork'.


That's just too cool! Fresh pork must be to die for! I'm a big ham eater, but havent had the opportunity to buy fresh like that.

Our boer goats get Brome hay, and grass mix.


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## GTAllen (Jul 22, 2012)

Alfalfa. But, only a little bit. We have had some rain and the pasture is looking really good! Thank God!


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Jessica84 said:


> Packhillboers: A lady I know got into goats a few years back and takes them to orchards to eat the grass and the little limbs that need to me cut off, she even gets paid for it since it cuts down on labor. If you have the time for that might be something to look into. Her son wants me to get into doing that but I dont have the time to sit with them and I will not leave them alone.


We have had opportunity to have our wethers finish out in a blackberry farm. They were well cared for by the owners of that field and were fat and happy on all the healthy browse.


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