Mixing Your Own Grain

Kye022984 · #21 08/13/10, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozark_jewels

Ditto. I like knowing exactly what my does are eating. I tried Purina and was seriously disapointed. Kent too. All the local grain mills haven't a clue either.

I simply feed whole oats and BOSS. 3 part oats to 1 part BOSS. I feed good grass hay and alfalfa pellets. I also keep out Right Now Onyx free choice minerals and kelp mixed 50/50 with the minerals. I do copper bolus and selenium twice a year. Most areas do need this for optimum health.

I've fed this for years now(at least 5 years), with only great results. They look great, grow great, milk great. I have 0 complaints.

But seriously, your feed is a very little part of their nutrition. Hay, fresh water, good minerals, proper extra mineral supplementation, these things all come first.

Thank you Ozark this sounds right up my ally. I may add some rolled oats to see how they like it. Maybe buy some at the local health food store before I buy a 50# bag. I also give kelp but mix it with baking soda and the minerals stand alone. I called the local vets too and they said our area wasn't selenium deficient and that I could give her the Bo-se shot but it wasn't necessary. Should I copper Bolus when she is preganant? When should I do this? Thanks for all the great information. I most definitely will mix my own grain this time around. We'll see how it goes

Alice In TX/MO · #22 08/13/10, 04:25 PM

Rolled oats from the health food store have had the chaff removed. Rolled oats from the feed store have not. Also, be careful, some rolled oats at the feed store are sprayed with molasses, which is not desirable.

You can copper bolus any time.
Here's the chart on downsizing the boluses:
http://saanendoah.com/cubolusdosechart.html

Kye022984 · #23 08/13/10, 04:46 PM

I just went ahead and order the hulled oats as animal feed from the co-op. It's marked as animal feed along with the barley and alfalfa pellets. Thanks for the info on the copper I wasn't sure when to do it. I'm excited to mix our own grain.

Creamers · #24 08/13/10, 05:00 PM

Quote:

But seriously, your feed is a very little part of their nutrition. Hay, fresh water, good minerals, proper extra mineral supplementation, these things all come first.

Agree!

st1055 · #25 08/13/10, 05:05 PM

I know after I get this answered I'll feel stupid but....what is COB?
I am planning on mixing Southern States 15% Meatgoat Pellets , BOSS and Beet pulp. I like the pellets because it already has Ammonium Chloride already mixed in. They have free choice hay, goat minerals, and baking soda. During winter and kidding time I add alfalfa to the mix. But after reading this thread I may look into the pricing of adding other grains into the mix.

ozark_jewels · #26 08/13/10, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kye022984

Thank you Ozark this sounds right up my ally. I may add some rolled oats to see how they like it. Maybe buy some at the local health food store before I buy a 50# bag. I also give kelp but mix it with baking soda and the minerals stand alone. I called the local vets too and they said our area wasn't selenium deficient and that I could give her the Bo-se shot but it wasn't necessary. Should I copper Bolus when she is preganant? When should I do this? Thanks for all the great information. I most definitely will mix my own grain this time around. We'll see how it goes

I would stick with just whole oats, as they liked it better. I tried crimped too, but they didn't aprove. And a lot of rolled or crimped oats have molasses on them.
On the selenium, you should probably check with serious goat breeders in your area that have been breeding goats successfully for several years. Most of the vets in this area will say its not neccesary too.....the goat breeders with experience know that in this area, goats do much better with selenenium supplementation.
You can copper bolus at any time as Alice said. Copper and selenium work hand in hand, so better find out about the selenium and give it too if advised, to get the full benefit of the copper.

ozark_jewels · #27 08/13/10, 05:12 PM

COB is corn/oats/barley. Barley is not available in some areas.
If your feeding meat goat pellets to your bucks for the prevention of UC, you probably don't want to mix other grains in, as then they will not get the proper level of AC in their ration.

Alfalfa pellets are not grain of course.

Kye022984 · #28 08/13/10, 05:31 PM

Yeah, I don't have any bucks. I will definitely talk to some other breeders around here to see what is best as far as the selenium goes. Thanks for the advice.

ozark_jewels · #29 08/13/10, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kye022984

Yeah, I don't have any bucks.

whoops! I should have specified here. I was speaking to st1055 about the meat goat pellets and AC.

Creamers · #30 08/13/10, 06:19 PM

I fed a mix of:

whole oats

wheat

rolled barley

beet pulp

linseed pellets

alfalfa pellets

black oil sunflower seeds

for 6 months, the condition of the goats was fine.
All the while a high quality mineral was out, hay, browse, copper bolused and Bo-Se'd - etc.
I changed to Blue Seal Caprine challenger, and their condition improved to impeccable.

The trip to pick that up was pretty far, so we are feeding Purina Honor Show, but it is a lot higher than the Blue Seal. So far, condition is the same.

Grain mix is minimal when everything else is wrong, too. . . but have everything else right and had a good grain mix, and you will see a change.

Creamers · #31 08/13/10, 06:20 PM

http://www.saanendoah.com/map1.html

Kye022984 · #32 08/13/10, 06:25 PM

We are in the "adequate" range for selenium according to this map. We are in Southern CA. I am not sure what the PP was talking about. Were you saying that the high quality mineral, PLUS all the other things were out of the diet?

ozark_jewels · #33 08/13/10, 06:48 PM

According to that map missouri is mostly "adequate" too......but us goat and cattle farmers know better.
Also, unless 100% of your hays and feeds are locally grown, your areas levels aren't going to make that much difference in your herds mineral levels.

Alice In TX/MO · #34 08/13/10, 06:55 PM

Also.... grain is only a part of the diets for the young growing kids and the milkers. The bulk of their diet should be alfalfa hay, alfalfa pellets, and/or good hay.

Dry does and bucks don't need much grain at all.

Creamers · #35 08/13/10, 10:13 PM

I was saying that a high quality mineral was out - as in available, and I cooper bolused and Bo-SE'd as well during the time I fed the custom mix I mentioned.
The condition was fine, but when I changed to a premixed - Caprine Challenger - I saw a huge improvement in condition. My point was that when everything else is being done right and condition is okay- THEN you can look to diet and see an improvement. I did.
But if you're not up on cocci prevention, worming, have copper deficiency or selenium deficiency, diet changing isn't going to be much help.

st1055 · #36 08/14/10, 08:48 PM

Thanks Ozark Jewels as I said I knew I'd feel stupid ....COB makes sense now, probably should have thought it out more.

ozark_jewels · #37 08/15/10, 10:03 AM

No problem. Don't feel stupid, I had to ask what COB was too years ago. I was already feeding it, it turned out, but I was mixing my own and had never heard it called COB.