Getting them to eat their grain

GoldenWood Farm · #1 03/14/13, 12:14 AM

Okay I am at my wits end and about ready to start

. I have tried corn oil, I have tried molasses but the does will turn their ding dang darn noses up almost every %$# time at the grain! Sometimes they eat wonderfully and other times they take a few bites and look at me for something else.

I am ready to start having some goat BBQ and I am worried about them not getting their calcium carbonate. I am trying everything I can possibly think of to get them to eat their grain and it never seems to work. I have tried just doing a tiny amount with just the calcium carbonate in it and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. How do YOU guys get your does to eat the grain?

I am feeding a rolled barley/whole oat/BOSS mix and it seemed to be going great at first. But now I feel like I am fighting with at least 1 doe each feeding to finish her grain. I am not even giving that much, maybe 1/2lb per doe (unless they clean it up then they get a tiny bit more) and 2 of them are kidding next week so I want them eating their grain and getting their calcium carbonate. I have tried different amounts of corn oil and molasses to no avail. Help me keep my cool!

I wanted to add I do make sure they are hungry. I grain them at night and they don't have any hay until I give them their grain (to make sure they are hungry). They do go out grazing but there isn't enough pasture for them to gorge themselves on, I am puzzled.

Justine

LomahAcres · #2 03/14/13, 12:26 AM

I think getting does to eat a homemade ration is harder then feeding a premix/made pellet. I mix my own as well - just oats and boss. I don't add any oil or molasses - as that's part of why I feed what I feed, so they won't get any of that. Mine will lick up the powdered calcium carbonate by itself - have you tried that? Otherwise I will add 1 TBS of mineral to the grain - that usually helps - sometimes I'll try different things to see what the each does like - kelp, yeast culture, baking soda, or just a mineral mix. At the end of the day - some times they just don't eat as much as I would like them too, but as long as they are not having any problems, showing a healthy appetite with their hay, I don't worry, and they don't get sick.

Alice In TX/MO · #3 03/14/13, 07:22 AM

They *know* you want them to eat it. Tell them you are just putting it out there, but to leave it alone. Tell them DO NOT TOUCH IT! Stay AWAY!

Or.... make sure the cats and mice haven't played/peed in it.

Minelson · #4 03/14/13, 07:41 AM

Tell them they are NOT to eat the grain! And then hide it on them

Sherry in Iowa · #5 03/14/13, 07:52 AM

All jokes aside..I had a couple of mice get in my oats bag..could not figure out why the "chow hounds" were not eating their breakfast..duh..upon close inspection I found the mice had been there. Switched bags..and once they knew the oats were okay..they chowed as usual.

If they do not want to consume calcium carbonate..does that mean they are good on their calcium? I'm just curious about that. If it were me..I'd rather see them eat their grain minus the calcium carb than eat nothing at all.

GoldenWood Farm · #6 03/14/13, 10:00 AM

Oh goodness Alice and Michelle is only that worked!

But alas I think they would be on to that gig all too soon, maybe they are full from both times they got out of their pen

.

Seriously though I have their feed in large metal grain bins with heavy lids so I don't see how any mice could have gotten into their feed (or back out) especially without me seeing. It doesn't seem to be the calcium carbonate that is making them not want to eat it, it is just them being plain picky. They start scarfing it down like "This is the best stuff ever!" and then "Hey mom...can I have something else?". And it isn't every time that they do this and it isn't the same doe every time (I wish that was all it was!). I swear a different doe each time who ate perfectly fine before now wants something "better" half way through her grain (no matter how little I put in there for them to finish).

I have even gone as far as to try and hand feed it to the little buggers and that works for a few bites before "Mooooom I said I wanted something different" at which point I am

. Maybe I just need to play hard ball and the second they start playing around I get them off the milk stand and they go back in their pen.

Justine

Oat Bucket Farm · #7 03/14/13, 10:13 AM

Put them up there, and as soon as they start fiddling around, put them back out. As soon as they learn that if they don't eat, they don't get a second chance, they will start eating.

And, maybe they just don't have much appetite. Maybe the babies make them feel too full to eat much.

I would just put it in without any oil or molasses too.

trnubian · #8 03/14/13, 10:39 AM

Have you tried alfalfa pellets instead of calcium carbonate? Mine won't eat anything "powdery." No matter what I do to get them to eat it. Will the eat a straight grain like straight oats? If so I would just give them a few oats a day and some alfalfa pellets or hay for their calcium. Might be easier on you all. Not sure what your alfalfa prices are though... or what is available to you.

Oat Bucket Farm · #9 03/14/13, 11:28 AM

Also, my goats were never that fond of barley back when we tried it. Maybe your girls don't like it either. Try just the oats for a couple of days. If they eat that, then try adding the BOSS in for a couple of more days. If they eat that, then add the calcium in. If they eat that, then try the barley again. Just to see what it is they don't like.

GoldenWood Farm · #10 03/14/13, 02:20 PM

Hehehe everything is already mixed together

. I not feeding alfalfa pellets anymore trnubian because it was breaking my bank BIG time ($19 for a 80lb bag). I am trying calcium carbonate because a lot of people on this forum have had great success with it.

I think I will just do hard ball, if I need to I can get them to orally take the calcium carbonate by mixing it as a shooter and giving it to them in a syringe. I just didn't want to add one more step but if I need to for now that is what I can and will do.

Justine

Laura Workman · #11 03/14/13, 02:38 PM

Do they have fresh baking soda available? I find mine will cut back on grain consumption if there's no baking soda. And they only like it fresh. For four mini does, I put out a half-cup at a time, every few days.

GoldenWood Farm · #12 03/15/13, 12:54 AM

I don't have fresh baking soda available but I will put some out for them tomorrow morning. I will keep trying to get them to eat their grain well, I am hoping it is partly because they are so full of baby

.

Justine

GoldenWood Farm · #13 03/15/13, 06:01 PM

My VICTORY! Okay well not about the grain but I am able to get their calcium carbonate to them without worry! I make a little molasses water chaser thing, mix their calcium carbonate and kelp right in it then syringe the mixture to them. I give herbal wormer via syringe so they are used to taking stuff that way and voilà! It works!

I was mainly worried about them not eating their grain because it had their calcium carbonate on it and they wouldn't be getting it. But now that I figured out how to make sure they get it I can breath easier and not worry

. Thank you everyone for all the brain storming!

Justine