Feed and Wormer Questions... Again!

[GoatNamedDunn]

Went to the feed store today. Bought one bale of straw (bedding) one bale of mixed (alfalfa and orchard grass) and a 50 lb bag of alfalfa pellets. I still have a pretty good supply of COB left (going to use it sparingly, want to use it up then not get anymore). Also bought a 6lb bag of Mana Pro positive pelleted goat dewormer.

I thought id try it as my goats HATE wormer. You cant even catch them. Its like the KNOW!!!! (Its even Apple flavored and they hate it, go figure.) Does it work well? Thought id try it. Gave it to them as a single feed. Says to do every 3-4 weeks there after.

My boys are a year old pygmy and year old nigerian and both are whethers. How much of the alfalfa pellets should they get a day? They are stuck in there pen when no one is at home during the day so they need something to eat. When people are there to supervise they are in the yard munching and browsing. However they is now more of a weekend deal than the weekday.

[dbarjacres]

Just curious why you're feeding two wethers, and of breeds that are easy keepers, alfalfa? In my opinion, they'd be better off health wise on grass hay.

The manna pro pellets seem like an easy way to deworm, but most people on here will tell you that the drug in it is useless in most parts of the country on worms in goats.

Sorry to sound negative!

[GoatNamedDunn]

They waste hay. They were eating straight grass hay plus COB. I only buy hay when needed as I only have the two goats, and for the moment they were out of straight orchard grass. But honestly 75% of it is wasted. I thought I got smart and started to feed them less of the hay, but I guess they like proportions and wasted 75% of that amount and they were still hungry.

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

You will always have waste but you need a better hay feeder. Mine are made out of the utility panels 4x4 openings so they can only get thier noses, not their heads into the hay. Alfalfa pellets are certainly better for your boys than COB since you have the need to feed them something. Since you are feeding alfalfa pellets you only need to keep out a very basic hay, for winter just find that orchid grass you talked about. Vicki

[GoatNamedDunn]

The feeder isnt the problem, its the goats I tell you LOL. They just know what buttons to push.... Anywho this hay will do until they next shipment of Orchard Grass comes in. They arent taking to kindly to the alfalfa pellets... I put the pelleted wormer in the bowls and they went nuts for a few minutes then realized it wasnt the "normal" stuff. We will see how it goes with the straight alfalfa pellets.

[GoatNamedDunn]

They love the alfalfa pellets. I think they like it even better than the cob.

[DQ]

morantel tartrate is the wormer in positive pellet. see my thread I just started on its i effectiveness for me. I would not worm them with it every three weeks that is blanket adcvice based on old info and other species before much parasite resistance was known . remember that goats don't just get worms out of the blue. they get them from grazing infected pastures. if they are getting hay and pellets and are not grazing at all or much than you will very likely not need to worm them other than one initial effective worming. worming every 3-4 weeks is a fast way to breed parasites that are resistant to wormers.