Goat food question

[fishhead]

Has anyone fed unmedicated chicken or gamebird crumbles to goats instead of straight grain?

Whenever my goats get near the duck and goose food (turkey breeder ration) they like the pan clean and I was thinking that this might be a substitute for oats. It would be easier to give them their daily dose of AC plus the protein content is much higher than any of the grains except soybeans.

[RiverPines]

I never have.
For one all the chicken and game bird feeds around here contain animals by-products in the ingredients.
I wont feed any animal by-products to my herbivores.

Poultry and game birds are omniverous and have totally different nutrition requirements than goats. So no, I either mix my own grain or buy goat feed.

[deafgoatlady]

well I dont feed my chickens or ducks medicated feed. I wont buy it. My aunt always had bad experince with medicated feed. I will not feed my goats with chicken feed. becuz they are made differently and it is not a good idea..

[fishhead]

I hadn't thought about the animal portion. That's probably how they get the protein level so high. The calf grower that the breeder recommended had animal protein in it but she sells the wethers young.

[thaiblue12]

I would not do it. People on here have had dead goats from it. I cannot remember if it was always a case of too much of it but better to be safe than sorry. I do not let my goats even sniff it that feed after reading the horror stories. I keep it locked in a 55 gallon drum.

[fishhead]

It would be metered out just like any other grain but I didn't think about the animal by-products portion so unless I can find one without they'll get something else. I'm just thinking it would be easier to get them to ingest AC in a ground meal.

[picklespickles]

they don't sell goat feed here even though goat meat is very popular. most people just let them browse. i am considered strange for feeding mine.

i give mine hay, and depending on what i have, sunflower seeds, oats, corn, etc. also, they share extra fruits and veggies from the gardens with the chickens. they also get alot of browse and then old logs and branches which they love. mine also steal the chicken/duck/geese feed. i have just started putting out extra in different areas. from what i understand, the big danger like with any grain, is if they get into a whole bag.

also, i think with grain, is with wethers more than others. urinary.

[vicb66]

If I let my goats tastes choose their own feed something tells me that my chickens, my wild birds and my horses would be without feed.We are the stewards of our livestock.I am not trying to be nasty I'm just posting my opinion.If feed choices are hard to come by in your area I'd consider feeding a horse sweet feed and supplement it with black oil sunflower seeds.

[fishhead]

Originally Posted by vicb66

If I let my goats tastes choose their own feed something tells me that my chickens, my wild birds and my horses would be without feed.We are the stewards of our livestock.I am not trying to be nasty I'm just posting my opinion.If feed choices are hard to come by in your area I'd consider feeding a horse sweet feed and supplement it with black oil sunflower seeds.

I don't know if this post is meant for me but in case it is here's why I'm looking for a ground meal type feed.

I would like to give my wethers a small amount of grain each day and I'm looking for something that will ensure they eat the AC at the same time. It would be easier to mix it in with the feed if the feed is a meal like poultry feed. I can get boss, oats or cracked corn but the AC just falls through to the bottom and I'm not sure they will eat it although I haven't put any in a clean pan to see if they will like it up.

[FD2N4P]

I am still having the same problem . it all falls to the bottom including the minerals i sprinkle. ms viki suggestion was kelp. i have ordered some hopefully they will like it and all mixed together will get the ac . therwise i have more stuff on the bottom! they don't touch the minerals as a free choice. so if any other suggestions out there let us know........picky goats!!

[BlueHeronFarm]

The crumbles will kill your goat. They get impacted in the rumen, the goat bloats and often gets enterotxemia and dies a horrible painful death. Please do not let your goats eat this.

I think it is more to do with the size of the feed than the contents...but I can't say I'm 100% sure on this. I switched my chickens to pellets, but still try to keep the goats away.

I was advised that AC is not really necessary if you don't feed grain to your males. ...and there is no real reason they need grain. We feed our buck alfalfa pellets and hay only. He gets the same free choice minerals as the does.

[fishhead]

Originally Posted by FD2N4P

I am still having the same problem . it all falls to the bottom including the minerals i sprinkle. ms viki suggestion was kelp. i have ordered some hopefully they will like it and all mixed together will get the ac . therwise i have more stuff on the bottom! they don't touch the minerals as a free choice. so if any other suggestions out there let us know........picky goats!!

I'm not so sure I would put minerals in the feed each day. They may get too much of something that way. My goats aren't eating much minerals either so I'm thinking about looking for another brand.

[FD2N4P]

i am also looking for a new brand.....i just bought this big bucket of golden blend from hoeggars.......why they didn't eat much last time when i bought it. gave some of it away! i am looking at that sweetlix???!!.........sue

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

When feeding unmolassased grain, simply squirt some oil on the grain, put the teaspoon of AC on it, and then swish the bucket as you walk out to the buck pen to feed him.

Everyone who feeds pelleted goat pellets are feeding ground grains. The problem with off species ground pellets or grain is that it is usually trash. It is where mad cow type diseases come from. At least in ruminant pellets, they can not feed back offal or ruminant bone or blood meal to them. They can to you dogs, to your chickens to your rabbitts.

The reason mash is soo palitable to goats is because of the oil in it.

If you look locally for loose minerals you could easily find one with the same selenium, same copper, and same red mineral amounts much muchcheaper than both of the above. When moving to a more expensive mineral to meet your needs, make sure there is more than label appeal making it better...chealated minerals, do you need a red mineral filled with more iorn in your area? kelp, yeasts or probiotics. If the only added feature, like Purina Goat minerals, is that it is sweet, your going to pay more for molassas? Vicki

[hoofinitnorth]

Originally Posted by Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians

The problem with off species ground pellets or grain is that it is usually trash. It is where mad cow type diseases come from.

THANK YOU! Exactly right! Everyone things I'm a conspiracy theorist when I bring this up! lol

[FD2N4P]

thanks for the tip with the oil...........i must say that i am down to a handful of the goat chow and i do feed alfalfa pettets and small amount of boss, since being introduced to this site........so i am changing my ways!!!

[fishhead]

Thanks for the oil tip. I suppose if I add the oil I can skip the BOSS?

Mad Cow came from feeding scrapies infected sheep parts to cattle. A few years ago the Rocky Mountain News had a great series of articles on CWD (deer and elk version of Mad Cow). I think on Mad Cow too if I remember right but that may have come from another source.

For some reason the goats I have this year won't touch the mineral but the ones I had last year ate it fine.

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Yes prion disease came from feeding ruminant to ruminant, yet it's ok to feed it to hens? Ok to feed offal to dogs. Ok to feed fish and feather meal to goats? Nearly all goat chows get their boost of energy from cheap fish or feather meal. Even the Sweet Lix 20% protein block for meat goats has fish meal in it. It's simply crazy! 10$ a block for molassas, a handful of minerals and fish meal??? Vicki

[hoofinitnorth]

Yeah, I'm nervous about feeding any meat to an herbivore. Locals LOVE to feed fish meal to their goats but I say, put it on the ground and grow the hay from that rather than feeding it to the goats! Even if it is wild Alaskan salmon oil! lol

[FD2N4P]

i understand all that you posted back........i just learned of a mill around here i will ck out tomorrow. i know i don't have the operation you all have just a few goats and wanting to take the right care of them. lots to understand..now i am understanding more about the food i eat from this site!!! anyway i feed purina grain land alfalfa pellets. i looked on the label...no ruminant meat or bone meal but i do see that they use an animal fat preseved with ethoxyquin, and the big molasses. can i get alfalfa pellets at the mill maybe without the "stuff" on it or in it?? when i go to the feed store here they an never give me an answers and they want to sell me all kinds of stuff.mostly things i shouldn't be using.they hear the n.y.c. accent!!! thats why my lttle one i almost killed was on the milk replacer! sorry for the long post but much thanks for your wonderful advice. i guess the reason why i use that handful of grain is because of the copper thing. i cannot blouse i think the word is (opper). i have one goat i cannot handle..she is untame. i goat where she will allow me to feed here out of a bucket.......so to try an administer anything to her i just can't. i have to put stuff in her feed. i take the animals no one wants anymore......anywway thanks.............have a great day..........sue