# What to Feed Milking Does



## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

Just wondering what everyone feeds their milking does? We're looking around to possibly try a new recipe. What do you feed to make for the best tasting milk?


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

I feed alfalfa/grass hay and then while on the milking stand a mix or BOSS and alfalfa pellets.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Mine have always done well on Blue Seal feed...usually 16-18% as well as free range browse and mixed grass hay...never had bad tasting milk yet....except the time they all found a patch of wild garlic...dogs got that round of milk :ROFL:


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

Garlic? :ROFL:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Yep, garlic, and not only could you smell it on them they're milk had a garlic after taste...not a good combo with cereal :greengrin:


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

i feed three different things for my grain, they get rolled barley rolled corn and rolled oats. I have them in three different containers so i can mix according to each goats needs. I dont like adding corn at all in their diet but they need a little maintain weight. i use as little as possible. INstead of BOSS i use flax seed, its a lot more a bag, but they only need a tablespoon of it twice a day, i grind it up in a coffee grider about once a week and i have a small ziploc on top of the rest of it in the container. It goes a lot further then BOSS does. it makes their coats shiny and they seem to be maintaing weight really well. I lso feed an orchard grass alfalfa mix hay. The milk i get tastes great. I have some people who say eww to goat milk try that and then try store bought cow milk and they always say the goat milk is the cow milk. they are amazed when they find out they're wrong.
beth


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

Thanks for the suggestions! I like the idea of flax seed. Just looked at it at the feed store yesterday, it is $40 a bag around here, is that about what you pay? Awful spendy, but then again, BOSS is very expensive here too. . . .


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

Flax seed runs about $46 a bag for a fifty lb bag, BOSS is $22 for a fourty lb bag, but when you figure un two table spoons twice a day per goat of flax, as to one cup twice a day of BOSS, the flax will last A LOT longer. 
beth


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## fcnubian (Oct 23, 2007)

My girls get 5lbs alfalfa pellets morning and night in their feeders in their pen. They get free choice grass hay and mineral. And they get their grain ration on the milk stand.


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

FC Nubian: What kind of grain do u feed? Is the milk from your does for human consumption? We noticed funny tasting milk when we fed a certain type of feed. Unfortunately, that feed is fairly inexpensive, the only one that is inexpensive. I don't know what COB goes for in other areas, but around here it's about $14 a bag now at the feed store. :sigh:


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## Sybil (Dec 21, 2007)

Saw a 40 lb bag of BOSS for 29.99! OUCH!!! Now I am afraid to look what I paid for the last bag.


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

Yeah, I know. Feed prices are terrible now. I remember when I could get a 50 lb. bag of COB for $6. Sybil, you're kind of close to me, where do u go shopping for feed?


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

The premixed Blue Seal brand that I get is 16% and is a pellet/oats/crimped corn sweetmix....I get this at TSC and it runs 12.00 for 50# my goats thrive on it and it's just easier and simpler for me to get/use...then again I have an eight goat herd with 2 milkers and 2 kids so feed management is a bit easier.


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## Sybil (Dec 21, 2007)

Any more try to shop close to home meaning across the river in Longview. Have several large feed stores that are fairly close together so try to keep up on prices and which of their items I like and don't like. Still haven't found a good goat mineral. Just feeding a sweetlix sheep and goat. Would love to find a goat mineral good for my area. When I bought my buck the breeders used a mineral mix that Lauren Acton recommended/worked on for the area? But I don't get to Portland that often and I don't remember where it was sold.


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

Oh yes, I'd love to get a good goat mineral. We've been using the SweetLix brand too. We used the Purina Goat Mineral for a while, (you can get it in Cornelius or Wilco) I don't really like that one too much, I like the SweetLix better, don't really know why. The SweetLix is labeled for meat goats (only one I could find) - is that okay for dairy goats??? It seems like it would be but I don't know. . . . 
I love Dr. Acton, she is so cool!! We're fortunate enough to be close to where she works. She helped one of our pygmies in a bad kidding once, she is such an awesome goat vet. Just love her. Anyways, thanks for the tips!


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

yes sweetlix is fine for dairy goats. I dont know why they call it meat maker but they do? :shrug:


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