Mixing grains for goats, cows, etc

waygr00vy · #1 12/04/05, 05:12 AM

HI everybody. I have 2 Jersey cows, almost a year old which will be bred this spring, and a herd of 7 pygmy and nigerian goats (+ 3 new babies). I also have 1 horse and some chickens for eggs. Right now, I buy goat chow for the goats, a cow pellet for the cows, horse feeed for the horse....etc. The premixed feeds I have available in the area for the goats and cows I do not like very much and I have been thinking about trying to make my own mix using raw ingredients. I have never done this before and was wondering if anyone here mixis there own grains (I think I remember alot of you do). Also, if mixing myself, what would be good for the cows, what for the goats, horse, etc. I am trying to keep it as organic as possable. I live in Florida and for some reason it is harder to buy a good quality feed. Thanks for any input. I will have to post the pics of my new babies later today. They are the cutest things...all bucklings though!

Misty · #2 12/04/05, 07:35 AM

I don't know about feeding horses at all. I do know Rumensin will kill them. (a coccidiostat often put in goat/cattle feed). I would just be very careful. We keep all of our feed separate. I know that there are some meds cows can have, but is fatal to goats and so on. Different animals need different levels of protien, fat, lysine etc in their diets and those needs change at different levels and stages in their lives. Sheep can't have copper, goats need it is another example. Unless I was really up on animal nutrition, I think I would stay away from one feed for all of them. But that is just me...

waygr00vy · #3 12/04/05, 04:17 PM

I didn't mean feeding them all the same feed. I have heard of several people mixing their own feed from grains such as corn, oats, barley, etc rather than buying a concentrate. I was thinking I could possably get several types of grains and use them to make a feed for each animal (goats, cows, etc) although the ratios would be different and ingredients not exactly the same. I would probably keep my horse on the concentrate she is on now, since it has been working well. But around here there is not much of a selection for dairy cows and goats so I thought I may be better off mixing from scratch. Any input if anyone does this or has a good formula?

debitaber · #4 12/04/05, 05:18 PM

I use purnia, so i can't help you,. each of mine get their own kind. like you are doing now.

goatkid · #5 12/04/05, 08:57 PM

I mix sweet feed with lactation pellets and alfalfa pellets for the goats and usually throw in a handfull of black oil sunflower seeds. One thing I've been warned about when mixing grain for goats is that you can't use over 1/3 wheat or you'll have a sick goat.

K-Frog · #6 12/09/05, 08:58 AM

I have a good friend who breeds Nubians. I bought a doe from her who was producing a gallon a day for me this last summer on a mix of 40 lbs oats, 40 lbs barely, and 20 lbs boss, and she was getting about 2 quarts per milking (a quart feed/quart of milk). She had the most beautiful coat to boot. This gal also shows, and has many, many awards, both from the ring and milk tests. Of course, she also had free access to a goat mineral and sodium bicarbonate.

HTH,

MillsFarmFamily · #7 12/09/05, 10:37 AM

sorry to sound stupid, but what is boss? and are the black oil sunflower seeds the same ones that you get for the birds? Thanks for helping out a newbie?

mpillow · #8 12/09/05, 10:52 AM

BOSS is the same as what you buy for birds...sunflower seeds

I use 16% animal feed(unmedicated) for my goats with BOSS added when they are milking. I also fed goat chow to the calf we raised with no problems (good wt gain between goat milk and grain). Some also use this animal feed on their chickens...havent done this yet but seriously considering it.

My understanding is that a goats metabolism is 3 times faster than a cow, and two times faster then a horse. So cow wormers and meds are *generally* does at 3 times your goats actual wt. and for two times on horse type wormers.
Goats will die if you feed them cattle type hay (moldy and/or brown) and do better with an alfalfa based hay or good green type grass hay (mine is timothy).

Providing a good trace mineral lick for the cows and loose granular mineral salt for goats as well as baking soda is a good idea.

Plenty of fresh clean water for all the beasties....

Sweet Goats · #9 12/09/05, 11:48 AM

I mix our own feed for our horse and goats. We really have the CO-OP mix it but we did it for a long time. It is a mix of Oats, wheat, milo ad barley. We do equal parts af all but the milo, that seems to go right thru the horse. Now this horse was a rescue guy. He was about dead when we bought him, he was about 500 lbs underweight. We did feed other stuff but we added the mix together. The CO-OP mixes 200 lbs of all but the Milo and 50 lbs of the milo, together. The milo is a good sorce of energy and TDN. If you want you can leave it out.
Good Luck
Lori
Sweet Goats