How much grain to supplement?

[FarmerKat]

We are getting two young kiko wethers tomorrow (they are a little over 3 months old). The current owner feeds a lot of grain. However, she has many more goats in the space where we will only have 2.

We have approx. 2 acres fenced in. The goats will be sharing it with chickens and pigs (2 young piglets at this time). About half of it is flat, the rest is a hill The pasture is "okay" right now in terms of vegetation. About 70% is grass/clover, etc. and the rest is what I would call lightly wooded with brush. We also have hay ready for the goats. It will be better next year. We are in the process of getting a soil test so that I can start working it and growing some good stuff next year.

How much grain do they really need? Is hay sufficient during winter & while we are improving the pasture?

[mygoat]

What do you want out of them?

If they are just pets, they need just good forage and/or hay. They will grow slower than grain fed, but being pet wethers, there is no need for fast growth. So long as they are a good body condition, there is nothing 'wrong' with slow growth. As long as they do not stunt from something like coccidia, worms, or illness, they'll just keep growing longer. A good diet of QUALITY forage shouldn't slow them down that much if it is truly a good quality.

If they are slaughter bound and you want them a growthy size by spring to butcher and you want an enhanced fat cover, grain can help get them there, and sooner. If you have them as show animals, it's the same mentality - growthier is better and a better 'cover' on the animal is known as good condition - though they shouldn't be obese (over conditioned) either.

Obviously with wethers the main thing to consider is the calcium: phosphorous ratio to reduce incidence of UC. Some also supplement wethers with ammonium chloride, which is simply a salt that helps acidify urine (and reduce incidence of urinary stones). Personally, I find the by far easiest way to do this is to use a lamb grower feed which comes balanced 2:1 and with an adequate level of AC added in. And its pelleted so they can't be choosy. A specific 'goat feed' that is balanced 2:1 and has AC would also be good, but those were over a dollar more per bag so I went with the lamb grower.

Free choice minerals, baking soda, and water should always be part of a diet. Always feed to body condition - if they seem a little thin (less muscling/fat cover than ideal) then perhaps a couple handfuls of grain as a treat will help them gain a bit. Sometimes you can also increase their hay/forage quality and effect the change you want. You do not want or need 'fat' animals if they are pets... for long life, too much fat greatly effects their long term health.

[FarmerKat]

Originally Posted by mygoat

What do you want out of them?

If they are just pets, they need just good forage and/or hay. They will grow slower than grain fed, but being pet wethers, there is no need for fast growth. So long as they are a good body condition, there is nothing 'wrong' with slow growth. As long as they do not stunt from something like coccidia, worms, or illness, they'll just keep growing longer. A good diet of QUALITY forage shouldn't slow them down that much if it is truly a good quality.

If they are slaughter bound and you want them a growthy size by spring to butcher and you want an enhanced fat cover, grain can help get them there, and sooner. If you have them as show animals, it's the same mentality - growthier is better and a better 'cover' on the animal is known as good condition - though they shouldn't be obese (over conditioned) either.

Obviously with wethers the main thing to consider is the calcium: phosphorous ratio to reduce incidence of UC. Some also supplement wethers with ammonium chloride, which is simply a salt that helps acidify urine (and reduce incidence of urinary stones). Personally, I find the by far easiest way to do this is to use a lamb grower feed which comes balanced 2:1 and with an adequate level of AC added in. And its pelleted so they can't be choosy. A specific 'goat feed' that is balanced 2:1 and has AC would also be good, but those were over a dollar more per bag so I went with the lamb grower.

Free choice minerals, baking soda, and water should always be part of a diet. Always feed to body condition - if they seem a little thin (less muscling/fat cover than ideal) then perhaps a couple handfuls of grain as a treat will help them gain a bit. Sometimes you can also increase their hay/forage quality and effect the change you want. You do not want or need 'fat' animals if they are pets... for long life, too much fat greatly effects their long term health.

Thank you! That was very helpful. They are basically pet goats. We are getting them for brush control. We have some other areas on our property outside of the fenced in pasture where we will be taking them as well.