pet goats

[FD2N4P]

my goats get a very small amount of grain in the winter along with alfalfa pellets. durning the summer in georgia allowing them to browse will that be enough for them along with there minerals or do they need the extra??? sue

[Minelson]

I have read that if they are not breeding, pregnant or milking they don't need grain. Especially wethers. But I would still offer them good free choice grass hay.

[mpete]

they still need to have loose minerals offered to them.

[mygoat]

My bucks/wethers never get grain.

My mini does get grain starting 2 weeks pre kidding and for 2 weeks post freshening - they aren't milked and don't produce alot.

My dairies get grain starting 2 weeks pre kidding and on through lactation, 1 lb per 3lbs milk produced.

All does get grain for a month -2 months while being flushed...

All kids get free choice grain in the kid pens until they become piggies, then they get fed 2x per day along with milk. Then, they are fed daily and as soon as they slow growing they are merged into the herd's feeding program.

If I have excellent pasture, I don't feed hay at all. No need - it's forage either way. That can be difficult so I keep it on hand and start feeding if the pastures get bare. You need at least two separate pastures to rotate them on, or one HUGE pasture.

[FD2N4P]

i got 2 wethers and 2 does.........and they are all too fat. so i thought just browse and minerals would be fine. i did use ac in the small amount of grain along with alfalfa pellets. i was trying to get away with using any hay. so much of it is wasted. we have 12 acres. 9 of it is fence in. plenty of trees and brush etc............sue-
+*

[Rowdy]

If my goats have forage, then they get nothing but a loose mineral. Except a month before they kid, and while they are nursing. If the kids are doing good, then they get nothing (except what they can steal while the big goats are eating.) Its mom's job to feed them babies.

[FD2N4P]

thanks rowdy.....thats what i'm going to do.....we are all on diets!!! sue

[chris30523]

If I had enough fence in the summer that is all mine would get. I feed hay and some grain but mine are all nursing babies and I have 40 on about 5 acres.So what ever browse comes up is nipped off. I am culling my herd by about 1/2 so if you are looking for some boer and boer cross goats I have them.

[fishhead]

Nine acres for 4 goats sounds like you don't need to give them any more feed unless it's pretty barren.

[greeneyedgirl70]

Sue,
This lil video is quite helpfull to those who dont know a lot about little baby goats....
This is how you talk to a little baby goat. Take a minute to watch this.
Darcy

YouTube

[Freeholder]

The best way to find out if your goats will do well on a particular diet is to try it. Keep a very close eye on them, and make sure you have a reserve of hay to feed if they start to get too thin.

There's an old saying, which I had always thought was in the Bible, but couldn't find it there even with several searches: "The eye of the master fatteneth the cattle." And another saying I've heard goes something like, "The best feed for any animal is the eye of it's master." (Not that they are going to literally eat their master's eyes, LOL! But that close personal observation is the best way to care for your animals.)

Kathleen

[FD2N4P]

geg, very cute. the little one of my 4 goats follows me around like a dog.....tries to "help" me also!!!