Goat Hay

livinzoo · #1 10/02/08, 12:56 PM

I'm planning on getting some goats as soon as my fence is up. Putting the posts in this Sunday. I have been seeing lots of ads for hay but don't know the best type to get. I am planning to start with 3 kiko cross goats. How much hay will they need to over winter in Georgia?

I have seen fescue, bermuda, orchard grass, etc. What is best?

I have also seen horse hay and cow hay. Which works for goats?

Also I have seen round bales and square bales. How many square bales does it take to make a round?

Thanks

southerngurl · #2 10/02/08, 01:01 PM

For kiko goats, the grass hays will be fine, but if you are breeding them, skip the fescue hay, it can cause reproductive troubles. "Cattle hay" or "horse hay"should be fine, just make sure there is no mold.

Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians · #3 10/02/08, 02:30 PM

Depends where you live, I would never use cattle hay. I would ask for horse hay, best is to find someone with horses or goats you admire and get hay they use. Vicki

Minelson · #4 10/02/08, 02:47 PM

I believe there are approx 30 small sq bales in a large round. (I just heard that somewhere could be wrong) For me, rounds are hard to work with and I don't have the right set up to keep it from molding. I feed my goats the same hay I feed my horses..quality grass hay small sqs....no ditch hay, no mold, as little dust as possible.

RiverPines · #5 10/02/08, 04:23 PM

Hay amount depends on bail size and varies.
Our large rounds are 1,200lb.
The small squares here are 40lb
The large squares are 700lb.

Do math.
30 small squares in a large round.

Small squares here are 3 bucks each. 30=$90 dollars.
Larges round is 50 bucks.
Large square is 45.

We buy large rounds.

Our hay is mixed grass with 30% alfalfa.

Also around here you dont want cow hay. Its often not good for goats as its treated different.
Drying agents have to be watched too as some can be bad for goats.
A lot of hay these days is not dried in the field.
Some is dried with chemicals. Some are ok and dissipate quickly, some are not ok for goats.

So its not only knowing what kind of hay you want to use, its also how it was grown, and dried.

One more thing, even horse and cow hays have variations to their makeup.
Its not what the hay is for, its whats in it and how processed.

Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians · #6 10/02/08, 05:56 PM

Small squares here are 3 bucks each.

Wow! $7.95 to $8.95 here for grass, nice quality horse hay and $12.50 for alfalfa! Vicki

luvzmybabz · #7 10/02/08, 06:53 PM

wow I guess I get off lucky them with 6.00 Alfalfa There is grass around for 4 to 5 but for the difference I buy the alfalfa

knoxgal · #8 10/02/08, 07:44 PM

So for about 4 does milking about how much hay do you need per week during the winter?

southerngurl · #9 10/02/08, 08:17 PM

It depends on the bales, some are 50 lbs, some are 80 lbs. For say a 60-70 lb bales, I would think one bale would last about 3 days.

Minelson · #10 10/02/08, 09:58 PM

One of the big things with goats and hay is controlling the waste as best as you can. When I first got mine I gave way too much and a lot got wasted...they like to pick through it and make a mess and then pee & poop on it

I really cut back on the amount I left available and use a garbage can for them to eat out of. I have 3 minis and give them about 1/2 a flake a day...they do get a lot of forage too so I will be increasing that as we go into winter.

moonspinner · #11 10/05/08, 08:04 AM

I've given all kinds of hay to my gang and I stick with orchard. Soft, not stemmy, sweet, no waste. Nice fine cut timothy is good too.

Minelson · #12 10/05/08, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonspinner

I've given all kinds of hay to my gang and I stick with orchard. Soft, not stemmy, sweet, no waste. Nice fine cut timothy is good too.

My goats are the opposite. They won't eat the fine, soft stuff. They go for the brome..the thicker the better. So I just give the "nicest" to the horses and everyone is happy...but me, because I make a mess sorting through flakes looking for thick & thin.

Cannon_Farms · #13 10/05/08, 08:24 AM

If you are in my area Conyers, Covington, Winder, Athens, Madison, Monroe area I can help you get some very reasonably priced hay that is loved by my goats and they are a bit picky. Good 80lb bales

Quote:

Originally Posted by livinzoo

I'm planning on getting some goats as soon as my fence is up. Putting the posts in this Sunday. I have been seeing lots of ads for hay but don't know the best type to get. I am planning to start with 3 kiko cross goats. How much hay will they need to over winter in Georgia?

I have seen fescue, bermuda, orchard grass, etc. What is best?

I have also seen horse hay and cow hay. Which works for goats?

Also I have seen round bales and square bales. How many square bales does it take to make a round?

Thanks

LMonty · #14 10/05/08, 08:53 AM

What worked really well for us last year here in NW AR was to keep a large round out in pasture for them to play with and snack on, and use the good quality squares in their feeders. I also used some grain, and alfalfa pellets to make sure they had the calcium they need.

dragonchick · #15 10/05/08, 10:16 AM

How do you keep a round bale dry?

whinnyninny · #16 10/05/08, 10:48 AM

I think goats can be fickle about hay... for the first 3 or so months we had out goats, they would barely touch their bermuda hay, and now they suddenly love it!

I don't know about your area, but in my area I see "goat hay"... I haven't looked into it, but I think it must be full of who-knows-what kind of weeds and isn't suitable for horses or cows. I steer clear of it and go for good-quality bermuda. Finally found some alfalfa, but haven't gotten around to buying any as I still have 20 square bales of bermuda! And a bale lasts my girls a week!

RiverPines · #17 10/05/08, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dragonchick

How do you keep a round bale dry?

We don't use tarp as it doesn't block rain from seeping through.
We use heavy PVC instead. Big sheets that cover one entire large round from top to past the bottom. We started out with 8ml plastic and that worked fine but didn't last as long, only a year.

The bale is layed on its side once its going to be used so moisture is an issue. We place them up on a wooden platform my mate built, and a large pallet is on that platform. The bail is pulled from the trailer to the platform with pallet pallet with tow straps and the truck.
My mate built his flat bed trailer and he built the platform so everything boots up together for dragging hay.

Stored bales that are kept of their round side are just placed on a pallet and covered with PVC sheeting.
He moves them to the platform with tow straps and a ramp to the flat bed trailer.

The bales are actually nice. We uncover and just walk around unwinding an armload.

We cover at night and partically uncover on dry days to let air in but no direct sun.

sammyd · #18 10/06/08, 03:14 AM

We feed nothing but hay that would be suitable for dairy cows. Alfalfa or clover sometimes with timothy or brome in it.
We make some grassy hay but it is reserved for the steers or rabbbits.
If we buy hay I prefer to get a high quality alfalfa. Last year we were getting 4x6 rounds for 35 bucks a pop because the guy was going out of the cattle biz and wanted to get rid of the stuff quickly. Hay tested super. Bought some small squares that weren't as good for 1.50 a bale.
I do not look at anything labelled horse hay, and judging by what most folks think they know about goats, I wouldn't look at anything labelled goat hay either.
Haven't priced anything this year.

BethW · #19 10/06/08, 04:36 PM

Around here, anything labeled goat hay or cow hay isn't good for anything but bedding, IMO. I just bought 100 bales of the nicest orchardgrass/timothy mix and the goats love it. I like it because they eat it right up and it was tested so I know exactly what they're getting.