# How much to feed



## scooter206 (Apr 4, 2013)

How much grain and hay should I be feed my doe, she's 60 days pregnant and i read you shouldn't feed that much grain because you don't want the baby to get too big. Can anyone help me on this? Thanks.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

How much and what are you feeding now?


----------



## scooter206 (Apr 4, 2013)

She weighs 105 so I have been feeding 3 lbs of grain (goat feed) but I cut down to 2 lbs and I'm feeding a tennis racket wide if hay


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would give more hay and keep at 2 lbs of grain. Does she have loose minerals out free choice?


----------



## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

just like us goats can only eat soo much a day. so it is not how much but what proportion of feed to use.
for most of the pregnancy all you need is free choice good 50% alfalfa hay. but the kids start to take too much room and prevents the doe from eating enough. so I add about 1 lbs of three way also called cob for the last month. I also add 300 eu of vitamin E. vitamin E really boosts the vigor of your kids after birth


----------



## scooter206 (Apr 4, 2013)

ksalvagno said:


> I would give more hay and keep at 2 lbs of grain. Does she have loose minerals out free choice?


I give her the Purina goat minerals but I put it in her feed


----------



## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

I would provide hay, loose minerals, and clean water free choice and stay at 2lbs of grain per day throughout pregnancy if I were you. Does she seem to be a healthy weight - can you find vertebrae and ribs or are they covered by a heavy fat layer? Or are they too sharp/pointy/boney/prominent?


----------



## scooter206 (Apr 4, 2013)

SalteyLove said:


> I would provide hay, loose minerals, and clean water free choice and stay at 2lbs of grain per day throughout pregnancy if I were you. Does she seem to be a healthy weight - can you find vertebrae and ribs or are they covered by a heavy fat layer? Or are they too sharp/pointy/boney/prominent?


I think she is at a healthy weight, what do you mean by free choice?


----------



## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

scooter206 said:


> I think she is at a healthy weight, what do you mean by free choice?


Available all the time/as much as she wants.


----------



## Redbarngoatfarm (Jul 8, 2015)

good advice - but I also have heard of reducing grain in the last 6 weeks so kids don't get too big - does anyone practice this?


----------



## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

My does do not get much grain after they are bred. Pretty much enough to get some carbs and sugars but not enough to grow really large kids. I worry about large kids at birth. They get plenty of good alfalfa/grass hay. After kidding I work their grain up so they can make plenty of milk and keep good body condition. I was always told a fat bred doe is a dead doe.


----------



## scooter206 (Apr 4, 2013)

RPC said:


> My does do not get much grain after they are bred. Pretty much enough to get some carbs and sugars but not enough to grow really large kids. I worry about large kids at birth. They get plenty of good alfalfa/grass hay. After kidding I work their grain up so they can make plenty of milk and keep good body condition. I was always told a fat bred doe is a dead doe.


That's what I'm worried about, how much grain do you give them(in lbs)


----------



## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

I will have to get a scale and weigh it. I really have no idea my way is far from perfect. I use a 16 Oz sour cream cup and give each doe half of it. Once they kid I will work them up to at least a whole one if not more depending on their weight. Sorry I can't be more help. If I remember I will try to weight it but I am gonna say it's about a pound.


----------



## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

The last 4 weeks of pregnancy is the most important period for feeding proper nutrition.
Big kids is a genetic problem more than a feeding problem. for years cattle men have promoted low calf birth weight as a sales promotion to sell there bulls.
If you don't feed enough the last 4 weeks you risk pregnancy toxemia this is where the kids are taking so many calories that the doe can start to use her mussel to supply what they need. this can easily kill the doe and the kids.
poor nutrition will also lead to weak kids after birth, you will lose more if the kids are weak.


----------



## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

No one uses EPD's in goats yet so that's why since I dont know what size kids the buck throws I choose to feed this way. Luckily I have not had proble.s yet but I do understand what you are saying.


----------



## scooter206 (Apr 4, 2013)

fivemoremiles said:


> The last 4 weeks of pregnancy is the most important period for feeding proper nutrition.
> Big kids is a genetic problem more than a feeding problem. for years cattle men have promoted low calf birth weight as a sales promotion to sell there bulls.
> If you don't feed enough the last 4 weeks you risk pregnancy toxemia this is where the kids are taking so many calories that the doe can start to use her mussel to supply what they need. this can easily kill the doe and the kids.
> poor nutrition will also lead to weak kids after birth, you will lose more if the kids are weak.


How would you recommend i feed her? The buck she was bred with was pretty big but idk how big his kids are because he hasn't had any kids drop yet, my doe is about 106lbs.


----------



## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

I feed similarly to RPC - about a 1/2 to 3/4 lb of grain per pregnant doe (unless one is in very poor body condition - but in that case they shouldn't be in my herd!) and then increase upon kidding into several pounds. But I'm not out there weighing it meticulously and I don't currently tie each doe individually so there is variation here. I weigh the feed scoop a few times a year to keep myself on target. 

The reason I recommended you continue feed 2 lbs per day is that your doe is already conditioned to that type of intake and at halfway through pregnancy, I'm not sure you want to drastically decrease the calcium, carbs, etc. that she is used to getting! A sudden drop in calcium later in pregnancy can be fatal in the form of milk fever. 

Perhaps somebody else can speak to the potential to wean her down from 2lbs to less, but if she was maintaining health weight eating 3 pounds a day when dry - I would guess she is a "hard keeper" and will not take kindly to the decrease.


----------



## scooter206 (Apr 4, 2013)

Ok so y'all think I should keep her on two pounds through out the entire pregnancy?


----------



## scooter206 (Apr 4, 2013)

Redbarngoatfarm said:


> good advice - but I also have heard of reducing grain in the last 6 weeks so kids don't get too big - does anyone practice this?


How much do you think I should reduce the feed at the last 6 weeks?


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I feed the same all through pregnancy so I can't help you there.


----------



## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

First the bucks size has little relation to his kids size at birth.
the Bucks size is a good indication of the bucks feed conversion, NOT HIS BIRTH WEIGHT.


----------



## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

I am going to say one last time it is not a good idea to starve your doe during the last month of gestation.


----------



## Redbarngoatfarm (Jul 8, 2015)

Based on what I am seeing here I am going to continue feeding the same amount throughout - if you think about it, feeding the same is almost like reducing already near the end of pregnancy since your doe is eating for 2,3 or even maybe 4! Those kids will take much more from mom near the end. I will be adding a handful alfalfa pellets for calcium towards the end, but staying the same otherwise.

Thanks for posting Scooter!


----------

