What grain and minerals for bucks, and other questions

[Jillis]

I now have 3 bucks. I need to know what type of grain (they get VERY LITTLE between the 3 of them) and/or minerals are okay for bucks to avoid the problem of urinary calculi.

The people I got the 2 Alpine bucks from just shrugged when I asked them about that. They just give their bucks what they give the does and have never had a problem.

The lady I got the ND buck from gives a grain that has ammonium chloride in it but doesn't know the name of it off the top of her head. She sold a wether to a lady who used the grain she recommend and the wether ended up getting UC at 5 months old and dying. The lady is blaming my friend, and my friend feels just awful.

I am also wondering about hard water. Our water is very hard. Could that excess calcium be a problem for the the bucks?

TIA! Jillis

[Shazza]

Well I feed my bucks exactly what I feed my does....but much less of the grain...the only grain any of my goats get is "rolled oats". So per buck they get maybe 1 big handful of oats with their feed ( oaten chaff and Lucerne chaff). What about if you just gave them a salt lick...which is the only reason the amonniam thingy is added to the feed...to make the bucks drink so they dont get urinary tract thingy. Sorry for all the thingys....but I am not big on remembering names of stuff.

[Milk n' Honey]

Grass hay for bucks period. The only way to avoid the chance of uc is to give them nothing excempt for grass hay. The only does around here that get grain are the ones that are lactating and the buck never gets any. Also all of our goats get free choice loose mineral and free choice bakiong soda. They usually only eat what they need. Hope this helps!

[TexCountryWoman]

My bucks get browse, grass hay and alfalfa pellets. Never, ever any grain or goat pellets of any kind. They get goat minerals and Apple cider Vineger mixed in their water (a small amount).

[mpillow]

We have hard water (scale on the fixtures) and I don't feed alot of grain to my boy but same as my does get and rabbit pellets(alfalfa) along w/ grass mix hay.

Blue Seal makes a "meat maker" medicated goat feed(for cocci and ammonium chloride) I've thought of using but try to stay away from med. feeds as much as possible. It was $8.50 a bag...I buy 16 sweet animal feed (nutrena) and add sho-glo horse minerals on milk stand.

[AllWolf]

For my bucks I let them browse, have hay, fresh water, medicated pellets no grain and they have loose goat minerals..

Good Luck.

[fishhead]

I've read that it is actually the phosphorus that causes the UC and not the calcium. The ratio is at least 2 calcium to 1 phosphorus.

If someone can say otherwise I would like to find out more.

[Jillis]

I see I have to do some research now...thanks for the replies!

[witchysharon]

Originally Posted by AllWolf

medicated pellets no grain

Check the label or analysis of the feed. Unless the pellets are made from alfalfa, or plant product or forage product, they ARE grain. Pellets are made from ground up grains, a binder is often added to hold the various feed components together and also so they maintain pellet shape as they are extruded.

I've read that it is actually the phosphorus that causes the UC and not the calcium. The ratio is at least 2 calcium to 1 phosphorus.

While too much phosphorus is one of the biggest causes of UC, too much calcium 'can' cause stones too, however, goats have a high tolerance for calcium and the ratio can go as high as 6 calcium to 1 phosphorus and still work fine. You want to keep the phosphorus at 1 in any case. That's why you can feed alfalfa to wethers and bucks, because most alfalfa hays naturally fall within the 2:1-6:1 range.

[Jillis]

Thanks, Sharon. Does this mean that I can give the bucks a handful of alfalfa pellets as their "grain treat"?
I looked up the nutritional analysis of oats, BOSS and corn. Only the corn had an acceptable ratio of calcium to phosphorus. Everything else was way bad the other way.

[witchysharon]

Originally Posted by Jillis

Thanks, Sharon. Does this mean that I can give the bucks a handful of alfalfa pellets as their "grain treat"?

Sure!! That's what my goats get for treats!