Goat Feed

trokarfarms · #1 12/30/04, 04:35 PM

Hi All,

How about feeding a barley and corn mix for a grain supplement? I am currently feeding rolled oats and alfalfa pellets with all the fresh veggie scraps they can stand and that works really great, but I have found a bulk feed source and they have only a barley/corn mix, and it is way cheaper. Just thought I would see if anyone has experience with milkers on barley and or corn.....I would still keep them on the pellets and veggies though!!

Sondra Peterson · #2 12/30/04, 04:39 PM

in my opinion corn is just candy to goats w/no real bennifit. I add a little cracked corn to my mix of oats/barley/boss/beetpulp but very little. Corn will help to fatten up a goat but that is abt all.

elly_may · #3 12/30/04, 05:54 PM

Corn is high in phosphorus and low in calcium. Unless corn is balanced with other grains like Sondra said, corn is not very beneficial unless to add quick weight. You may add weight, but overall mineral deficiencies will develop for the goat and will give more problems than it's worth. Corn can also lead to urinary calculi as it is too high in phosphorous. Calcium to phosphorus needs to be a 2 to 1 ratio or a 2-1/2 to 1.

Both Sondra and I fix a grain mixture of oats, barley, beet pulp, calf manna, BOSS, and corn.

Fresh veggies will definitely provide lots of iron, vitamin A, magnesium, and the alfalfa is giving lots of calcium. All very important stuff to our goaties especially your milkers.

Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians · #4 12/30/04, 06:26 PM

BUT

Corn is easy to come by, cheap, and is very high in energy and fat. I wouldn't feed whole corn, especially cheap whole deer type corns because they are not tested, they also grind the girls molars down, but a bag of barley (about the best grain going) mixed with corn at half the price?? You betcha! With the bulk of the does diet being alfalfa pellets (calcium and protein) anyway, using the grain like you should for late pregnancy when a doe can't get too much energy, or for calorie replacement for milking, the only better fat would be BOSS, I would be very happy with the mixture. Barley is expensive around these parts, so oats are used in the place of them. I would be much more concerned that the grain is clean and readily available all the time, rather than cheap right now. I don't like changing my goats diets.

But no, if your talking a big bag of chops with only enough barley to say it's so on the tag, well no, that is just dessert. Vicki

trokarfarms · #5 12/31/04, 03:57 PM

Thank you all very much. I think I will try it and see how well they do. I went and saw the mixture and it seems like a fair mix between both the barley and the cracked corn. Thanks again and Happy New Year to you all!!!

idahocurs · #6 12/31/04, 04:35 PM

Vicki what does Barley cost a hundred where you are?

big rockpile · #7 12/31/04, 06:02 PM

Fed mine Corn Chops with no problem,but they had plenty of supplements.

Now Vicki Mc Gaugh I've worked in Feed Mills and Seed Plants for years.What would they be testing Whole Corn for? All we ever tested for is Moisture and Germination.And check for trash and Bugs.

Sondra Peterson · #8 12/31/04, 06:21 PM

My barley (rolled) varies from feed store to feed store from $6.95 to 9.95 per 50lb. of course you know which store I tried to get to.

Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians · #9 12/31/04, 06:28 PM

idahocurs, a 50 pound bag of Barley is $9.50 you can get 100 pounds of clean whole oats for about the same.

Big Rock Pile,

"Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring toxin produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus. The fungus can be recognized by a gray-green or yellow-green mold growing on corn kernels in the field or in storage (Figure 1). Plant stress due to drought, heat or insect damage during fungus growth usually increases aflatoxin levels. Aflatoxin contamination will reduce feeding value and hinder sales. Because it is extremely poisonous to warm-blooded animals even at relatively low levels, grain handling facilities often check for the presence of the toxin before purchasing corn."

Here in the south 'deer' corn is not tested, and we have found off label corn with no test tags on them. I would be leary at mills who purchase in bulk and can't produce these tests. Vicki

idahocurs · #10 12/31/04, 07:10 PM

WOW Oats, Corn, Barley all cost me between 6.50 and 7.00 a hundred. What do you pay for alfalfa hay? Our 1st and 2nd good quality hay goes about 60-70 a ton early and 75-80 now. Alfalfa Grass mix runs 5 to 10 dollars less.

big rockpile · #11 12/31/04, 09:30 PM

Vicki Mc Gaugh I know what your talking about but around here it goes into the bin,ground for Feed.Few samples taken after its ground and in the bag.Believe it or not but I got some bags of Chops with Morning Glory Seed in it.

I said something about it,they told me there was nothing they could do about it because their Corn wasn't screened before it was ground.

I had problems with Soybeans one time getting green Nightshade out of them.Because of weight and shape.

Just wondering.

big rockpile

Sondra Peterson · #12 01/01/05, 07:34 AM

What might be called good alfalfa hay here costs $8.95 to 10.95 per bale and tis not what I call good, therefore I use alfalfa pellets.

Tracy in Idaho · #13 01/01/05, 09:55 PM

I have fed mine barley/corn quite often. Nice, clean rolled -- usually about a 50/50 mix, though sometimes it can go up to 60% corn. I am thinking about going with it again this year, because it is much easier for me to find in both bagged and bulk.

Right now, I am finishing up a bag of dry COB, and then I will see. I don't know that a few oats really adds that much to it. Mine also get BOSS and a Calf manna knock-off mixed in.

Tracy