grain concentrate for growing doelings?

piccololily · #1 06/30/10, 10:37 PM

After consulting three different goat books, I still don't have unanimous answer for how much grain (or not at all) to feed a kid until she freshens the first time.

Our doeling is now four months old, dam raised, weaned at eight weeks, and has access to hay and good woodsy forage all the time. She is a large sturdy Alpine/Saanen cross. Should she still have some grain too? What do you all do?

We plan to breed her in the late fall.

chewie · #2 06/30/10, 11:29 PM

maybe just a handful of an all stock feed. i wouldn't give much til later

deineria · #3 07/01/10, 01:20 AM

I give ours about 1/2 lb a day of a high quality dairy ration plus some alfalfa and all they browse they can eat.
Yes, do give her grain. You do not want her at all over weight, but obviously, not at all under. I'd offer 1/2 lb a day and adjust as needed up or down.

christie · #4 07/01/10, 10:30 AM

But what if she's at perfect weight just on browse and hay? I have the same question...

shiandpete.1 · #5 07/01/10, 10:42 AM

We feed a pelleted medicated feed made by purina called it is the Noble Goat grower. Each kid gets about a 1/2 lb a day. They get as ich Hay as they want and out to browse about 2 hours a day.

Christie I have noticed with growing kids that one day they look great, the right weight ect and the next they are gangly, butt way higher than the front, and thin looking. That little bit extra seems to balance out the growing so rapidly and the looking thin.

deineria · #6 07/01/10, 11:22 AM

She might be at the perfect weight for her frame, but maybe the grain would boost her growth and her frame would grow, etc.
Mine seem to need the grain to get the growth I want. If they appear that they will reach breeding weight - about 80lbs - by breeding time in the fall and are just on browse and hay, I suppose you don't have to feed grain, but I would.

shiandpete.1 · #7 07/01/10, 11:26 AM

Deneria and I are working towards the same result with our kids, if we can add that extra growth so we have sizable does that can be bred in the fall then why not feed a concentrate or pelleted feed?

christie · #8 07/01/10, 08:48 PM

ooh, my girl wouldn't be big enough to be bred in the fall. Shes a May baby. but for now gets a handful a day of grain, and some alfal pellets too. Just curious if she even needed it.

KimM · #9 07/01/10, 08:56 PM

Same here. I feed all my growing girls ADM Meat Goat pellets until they're about7-8 months old, then slowly switch them to dairy pellets. After they're bred I reduce the amount of feed to a sprinkle in their trough and then gradually increase it a month before they kid.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shiandpete.1

Deneria and I are working towards the same result with our kids, if we can add that extra growth so we have sizable does that can be bred in the fall then why not feed a concentrate or pelleted feed?

deineria · #10 07/02/10, 12:34 AM

Also, I wanted to mention:
I started out feeding Purina Goat Show - their sweet feed. . . back a few years ago
I fed that until about 9 months ago. . .wasn't crazy over the goats' conditions.
Some people tell you condition has little to do with feed only - but this isn't true - I've seen it first hand.
I went to a custom mix I had recommended to me from a friend. Her goats looked better than mine.
Their condition improved.
A show breeder I bought doelings from recommended Caprine Challenger by Blue Seal and when I couldn't get up to get the 500 lb custom mix minimum, I bought a few bags of it and stuck with it for a month now, and WOW! The condition on these goats as SO improved.

This is with them having always had a high quality mineral, Bo-Se injections and Copper Bousing - so nothing like that could have had the effect. Also, constant, quality browse and alfalfa pellets. . .

So a good grain mix can make a huge difference. . .this applies to my bucks, too.

steff bugielski · #11 07/02/10, 04:59 AM

I also feed Blue seal for the kids. They get free choice from 2 weeks till about 6 months then they get about 1/2 lb daily from 6 months till 50 before kidding. then slowly increase to 1 lb.

The key word here is growing. They are still growing till they reach 2. You plan to breed then I assume milk her. She will need to be in good condition.
Hard to reach 80/90 lbs in 8-9 months without grain.

ozark_jewels · #12 07/02/10, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shiandpete.1

Deneria and I are working towards the same result with our kids, if we can add that extra growth so we have sizable does that can be bred in the fall then why not feed a concentrate or pelleted feed?

I do the same. They don't get much grain, but they get some and it helps them reach their full potential in time. They also get alfalfa which is very important for a growing kid, more important than the grain.
I simply feed each kid about 1/2 lb of whole oats and BOSS once a day. They have alfalfa pellets at all times.

Pony · #13 07/02/10, 11:10 PM

I'm feeding free choice hay and alfalfa pellets, along with a mix of oats, beet shred, corn, BOSS. They don't get much, but they're big girls, and I want them to be healthy and at a good weight come Fall breeding.

Oh. Wait. I only have one doeling left. <shrug> Still, same feed, same reasons.

They also have free choice baking soda and loose minerals.

Everyone here has glossy coats, healthy mucus membranes, and energy. They literally bounce off the walls of the goat shed.