Feeding goat take two

[Oat Bucket Farm]

Okay we picked up feed today and instead of buying more kid/lamb food I picked up mare and foal food.This is the analysis for it

Crude protein - min 15.00%
Lysine - min 0.08%
Methionine - min 0.35%
Crude fat - min 5.00%
Calcium - min 0.70%
Calcium - max 1.20%
Crude fiber - max 7.00%
Phosphorus - min 0.70%
Copper - min 50 PPM
Manganese - min 175 PPM
Zinc - min 200 PPM
Selenium - min 0.60 PPM
Vitamin A - min 6,000 IU/LB
Vitamin D3 - min 450 IU/LB
Vitamin E - min 85 IU/LB
Biotin - min .60 MG/LB

Is that good?

Also we got her some alfalfa pellets and she absolutely loves them!

[vallyfarm]

Copper is low for goats. Should be OK, but I would get a bag og mineral mix for goats and feed it free choice. Selenium will be in the mix too. Just having the mineral mix can avoid several shots for the same things. I will get killed for saying this, but I give nothing but a tetnus shot at de-horning and havent had a sick goat in a decade. Mike

[mygoat]

Yup, the goat needs some sort of salt/mineral and Baking soda availble free choice at all times. I preffer the sweetlix meatmaker myself. I don't like the cow minerals because there is WAY too much salt in the mix, and my goats (and several other's I"ve known) refuse to eat enough to get the right amount of minerals they need.

[Patty0315]

Problem with most mare / foal feed is there is alot of molasses. Not good for goats. Why not go to the feed store buy 100lbs of oats , 100lbs of crack corn and boss. I mix 4 scoops oats , 1 corn and 1 boss. I continue til my can is full. My animals do well on it and it is alot cheaper.

I also do not leave baking soda out. I want my animals to eat there minerals when craving salt. Leaving soda out can decrease there mineral intake.

Patty

[Oat Bucket Farm]

Actually, this particular pelleted mare and foal doesn't have much molasses. Its one of the reasons I got it.

I will definitly get her some loose minerals. They don't have one for goats around here, will horse work okay?

[Patty0315]

Ask your local feed store for tech master or sweetlix they should be able to order them for you.


Patty

[mygoat]

I don't think soda decreases mineral intake. Baking soda is just baisic, prevents many stomach problems before they occur. It doesn't stop my does from hogging down their minerals.

[Patty0315]

Taste it and see what it tastes like.


Patty

[HazyDay]

Originally Posted by vallyfarm

I will get killed for saying this, but I give nothing but a tetnus shot at de-horning and havent had a sick goat in a decade. Mike

What???!?! Kidding! None of the breeders around here every give shots! We give wormers and thats about all. We do give shots if they are sick, but have never given any to our kids and they do fine! Why do you do that? The disbudded is heated up to 1000F (or near that I think) that would kill all germs any ways!

[vallyfarm]

HazyDays, i give them the shot because as the scabs dry and crack they can get "stuff" in there. My kids like ti scratch their heads on metal feeders, gates, etc. If no one is using all the bo/se and other various injectables, then why do I see so many recomending these things on this forum? Tail is low, shoot 'em up with this, etc. I'm not inferring this on any one person, but I see these answers often here. With good rotation I haven't needed wormer in the last 3 years. I run the goats with sheep too. Mike

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Mike where are you located, it's likely the difference, pasture rotation means nothing in the south, other than to keep pastures in good shape, it will not work for worms or other parasites that are not killed in a freeze.

Tetanus is a virus not a germ...heat does not kill tetanus, any break in the skin, even a scratch and if tetanus is a problem in your area, you will have tetanus deaths, that are usually blamed on bloat.

1$ a doe per year for Bo-se and CD&T is certainly worth not having to treat disease or defficency. Vicki

[LMonty]

Tetanus is a pretty interesting bacteria. It's in the Clostridium family, Clostridium tetani is its "official name" IIRC. Lots of ranchers know about anthrax- how it makes spores, and they are very resistant to being killed, normal heat and consitions wont kill it off like bacteria without that protective spore wall. When conditions like heat or moisture, pressure etc get unsuitable for growth or maintence of the bactgeria, they reinforce their cell membranes into a hard shell- called a spore. Then when conditons are good again- they take off running. They can live for decades (maybe longer) in the spore stage- almost a suspended animation type of existence. Tetanus is very close to anthrax in that behavior. Its basically impossible to eradicate the spores from the enviorment- and they love barnyard conditions. Spores from many, many years back could be lurking around, just waiting for a wound to their liking.

Horrible illness in people! Without the immunization- the chances of death are very high, and the disease itself- I have seen one person in my whole career with it- is an incredibly miserable illness. The pain and seizures are almost unbearable. I recall the man begging us to let him die, then begging anyone who came near him to kill him. It wasnt pretty. Lasted a couple of weeks, before he finally got his wish.

Ive never seen a case of tetanus in an animal AFAIK. But a friend of mine with a goat herd has some wethers for me- and she called me about 2 weeks back, mentioned she hadnt given the CDT when she disbudded this time. Darn if that animal didnt die from tetanus (diagnosed by the vet) a few days later! so it can happen....

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Thanks Monty, Excellent Post!!! Vicki