Grain Free Milkgoats?

hoofinitnorth · #21 06/10/08, 01:38 PM

Jo - can you share some sources for literature on sprouting grains and how it changes the nutritional value of the feed? I tried to find this last year for the poultry and ran out of time with other projects. I've been discussing it with a local oat farmer of late...

Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians · #22 06/10/08, 02:20 PM

Actually farmmom if I was going commercial again they would be dry lotted. Dealing with parasties is huge here and you don't have parasites on dry lots because they dont' eat with their heads down. The shear number of goats over several season will turn any underbrush into pasture if you have goats for any length of time congregated around the main barn for milking 10 months out of the year...the further out into the property you get the more browse is left, mine is the perfect mirror of this. When someone says they only have browse I know they have not had goats long

I am going to enjoy this little experiment here, I know in a dariying situation where labor is money and you have to pay the feed bill and salary LaManchas were the way to go, I am think mini's will fit a more frugal point of view. Vicki

farm mom · #23 06/10/08, 03:10 PM

Thanks Vicki, perfect information that made me happy! I have a call into a local farmer that raises a pea/oat grass hay.

Mrs. Jo · #24 06/10/08, 11:17 PM

Well, it was an epiphany when I realized the root of the "ruminate."

Sprouting grains? The only article I ever read on it was from dairygoatjornal. I don't know what year. One of local holistic vets just told me the other day that I should be sprouting grains to feed my stock. I'm looking hard just for a source of decent grains right now. I'll let you know if I find anything for sure.

minnikin1 · #25 08/09/08, 05:53 AM

Here are a couple of articles about the benefits of sprouted grain. They are not about goats, but... written for equines but has references to the benefits of sprouted grains:
One is obviously an ad, one is not:
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ansci/livestoc/as647w.htm
http://www.foddersolutions.org/equine_nutr.htm

mtn.mama · #26 08/09/08, 12:30 PM

Thanks especially for the fodder solutions link!

macly · #27 03/20/12, 12:19 PM

Sorry to revive a very old thread, but I'm looking into a grain free ration for my Nubian who just freshened. Mtn Mama, how did things work out? Hoping you are still on here...Thanks!
Meredith

PrettyPaisley · #28 03/20/12, 04:30 PM

We don't do grain. I don't do beet pulp either for fear of GMO sugar beets. We just do alfalfa pellets and BOSS but I think I might add a dash of kelp this season, too. They don't seem to have an issue with standing still and munching on that mix.

That said, I have no clue what I am going to do when the GMO alfalfa hits.

I could just cry thinking about it.

macly · #29 03/20/12, 07:58 PM

Thank you so much for your response! I feel the exact same about the alfalfa, but that's a whole other conversation

Do you mind if I ask about how much alfalfa and BOSS you think they are consuming? We're in a big transition with our girl right now. She's a new to us goat. We bought her when she was still (heavily) pregnant and brought her home after she kidded. She's still adjusting and my plan was to slowly wean her off the grain, but she doesn't seem to care for it right now. Unfortunately she's also not fond of my stemmy Timothy that my other goats clean up. She's been eating less than half of her previous grain ration, devouring all the alfalfa pellets I give her, and seemed more interested in the 2nd cutting grass hay I brought home tonight. So far she hasn't ventured out of the barn enough to browse, but I know that will come in time. Thanks for your info!

southerngurl · #30 03/20/12, 09:29 PM

Shannon, I hate to make you cry sooner, but the alfalfa can already be GMO. It was legal a few years ago, then outlawed. So there are stands of GMO alfalfa being harvested already. Yea, it makes me mad too.

I am hoping to grow and store carrots for part of my goats' concentrate this year. You can just dig a hole and store them in straw, or even leave them in the ground. And you can grow a lot in a small area, and they are very healthy for them. Another thought is pumpkins which I grew some of last year and the goats LOVED them. Plus the seeds contain zinc and discourage parasites. They also have plenty of protein.

For legumes, I'm getting lespedesa sericea started in my field this year, setting up rotational grazing and in the cool season, plant to have vetches and clovers with rye. With rotational grazing you can really improve the vigor of your forage and keep it growing well. I also got a rainbird sprinkler and a couple long hoses after last summer.

Another little idea I have.. imagine if you had a legume that goats adored, had a deep root system to pull up minerals from way down deep, was very vigorous and growthy and didn't need reseeding once established? Yea, kudzu. Don't come at me with pitchforks now! The problem with Kudzu is either you have enough to outgrow the speed your goats eat, or the goats kill it. But my idea is, take some cattle panels and fence a patch of it off in your goat field. As it tries to grow out it would be continually eaten by the goats, but they couldn't kill it. Keeping this far from trees it would be just about impossible for it to "escape" other than by seed, which I read it doesn't do much but flowers would give ample warning I'd think.

Natural Beauty Farm · #31 03/20/12, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians

Vicki

Darn, thought Vicki was back, then I looked at the post dates and realized this thread was reacted

CaliannG · #32 03/20/12, 10:27 PM

southerngurl, I SO WANT kudzu.

Trying to find seeds or plants, however, is a problem. ~sighs~

April · #33 03/21/12, 08:55 AM

I'm scared silly of kudzu. I know anything can be managed, but what if I get lazy (and I will).

I'm also exploring a "cut and carry" option where I pick what browse the goats will eat, cut it and take it to them. Again, a little lack of motivation would ruin that whole plan. I could grow a LOT of forage in orchard and garden areas, though.

TroutRiver · #34 03/21/12, 10:23 AM

Another scary thing that I learned recently, most non-organic alfalfa pellets actually contain small amounts of corn and other grains, even though not listed directly on the ingredients. Floor sweepings and scraps from other grain mixes made in the processing plant are often added to alfalfa pellets.