Doe won't eat more

[christie]

I have a doe that I want to up her milk production but she just won't eat more then a pound of grain. { Thats all she gives in milk} But if I put any more in she just leaves it.It like when im done milking shes done eatting. I leave her there but she won't eat. My other goats woof down what ever is in front of them. I thought all goats would be like this. Any advice?

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Don't fall into the trap that grain makes milk. Yes they need grain to keep in good conditon while milking, but alfalfa with it's protien/calcium/rougage combo is what makes a good milker milk. Also what grain? Vicki

[QoTL]

Christie-

I have the same problem with my doe. She will only eat what she eats, and that's it. I find it a little weird considering how my other goats act about grain!

[CaliannG]

ALL of my goats will do the same thing. If they have had enough, no amount of coaxing or threatening will get them to eat a single leaf or pellet more.

Whatever happened to that old belief that goats ate all the time and would eat anything? Mine are such finicky eaters and would rather have their ears scratched than eat.

[christie]

I give blue seal dairy goat grain. w/ a handful of boss and alfalfa pellets. Then after her night milking gets a big scoop of alfalfa pellets to share w/ her herd mate. hay and forage during the day.
She usually skips the alfal pellets if I put to much of it in her grain. she just pushes it aside. Maybe giver her the alfal 1st on the stand then when she is through give her her grain?

[Pony]

Funny thing happened here the other day.

Trub was a little down on her milk production.

One evening, I decided she needed a break from the three kids, so I put her collar and leash on her and took her for a stroll to the field an acre away.

She totally nom'd on the grass there, and the next day -- more milk.

Took her for another walk the next night.

Next morning, more milk.

No walk the next night.

Less milk.

Now, I don't walk her every single day, but I do make sure she gets extra fresh greens every day. There is less forage in the goat pen than there was before, because there are more goats on it (the kids).

The fresh greens do seem to make a difference. No, it wasn't a scientific study, just personal anecdote, so take it for what it's worth: a suggestion of what seems to have helped us.