Should I be feeding grain?

[TroutRiver]

I have a nubian/boer doe who will be a first freshener in May (bred to a nubian buck). We have started feeding all of our does alfalfa pellets, and they all get free choice minerals and have hay available all the time. We don't feed the alfalfa pellets free choice because we have a couple wethers who don't need them.

The nubian/boer is small, and the vet told me not to feed her any grain at all until after she kids, because we want the kid(s) to be small to avoid any complications with the birth. We have been giving her alfalfa pellets with the other does, but none of them are getting any dairy ration or other types of grain/pellets yet. Should I keep feeding her alfalfa pellets? Should I really just let her keep going on just hay and minerals like the vet said? We don't have the highest quality hay right now (second cut this year was not so great) so I feel like the alfalfa is necessary for the does...but I don't want her to have a baby that's too big for her. What do you guys think?

[Alice In TX/MO]

She needs the alfalfa for calcium and protein. Yes, keep her on the alfalfa pellets.

Also, you might want to start training her for the milk stand twice a day to make life SO MUCH easier for you after she kids. Offer her 1/2 a cup or so of grain (oats are good) or a dairy goat pellet on the stand. That will help get her used to it and give her a bit of extra nutrition in the last month of her pregnancy.

[TroutRiver]

Thanks! My milking stand is under construction right now (I am in the process of shortening the legs to make it easier for the ladies to get on and off) but I will start training her to it as soon as I have it finished! Thanks for the advice!

[FunnyRiverFarm]

I agree with Alice. The alfalfa is important...And a handful or two of grain on the milkstand will get her used to the idea and provide a little extra nutrition as well. I usually start feeding my does grain in the last month of pregnancy starting with maybe 1/2 cup and gradually working them up to 2-3 cups by the time they kid. Doing it this way, you won't put her rumen into a state of shock when you have to start feeding larger volumes of grain during lactation. Feeding grain in the last month of pregnancy is also helpful in ensuring the doe is getting enough calories to maintain herself--the kids take up a large amount of space in the last month and sometimes it is hard for a doe to eat enough hay because there just isn't space for the rumen to expand...grain is a concentrated source of calories that does not require much space in the rumen.

[TroutRiver]

Stella (said nubian/boer doe) is a little marshmallow. She has always been chubbier than my others, probably because of the boer in her, and since we've started feeding the alfalfa, she's been looking even bigger (she was fat before she was bred). Just want to make sure that this is ok and I'm not over feeding her and causing her kid to grow too big. I will definitely keep up with the alfalfa pellets.

[KSALguy]

how old is she, and how small are we talking? she should be fine but regardless of what you feed her if she is extra tiny you may need to assist her for delivery, Nubian and Boer are both stout big boned breeds and shouldnt really be on the small side,