Sweet mix vs. layer pellets

[shemarie]

Ok..this is probably a dumb question...but...I have two goats who love to eat my layer pellets..which is really bad for them...and 3 hens...who love to eat the goats sweet mix. The sweet mix is a mare/colt mix with copper. My question is...is it absolutely necessary to give the hens the layer pellets...they do end up eating it..but they all eat the grain first...and then go to the poultry feed. I really don't want my goats to get bloat and it worries me that the little guys will founder themselves on it. So if I can just buy the goat grain and let them all have it, what a help that would be..but I don't want to short change my chickens nutrition. Please help me figure this out.

 

[BeckyLa]

I'm sorry, I can't answer your nutrition question. I know the layer has things in it the layers need for optimum egg production but I don't know what's in the other. Depending on your coop situation, I would leave the layers locked in their coop/run for the first half of the day so they have to eat their pellets and the goats can't get to it. Then let them out. The goats should have their feed cleaned up and, if the goats can go in the coop, I'd put the pellets away.

 

[TheBigWRanch]

I kept my goats from getting into the chicken food by building a box on their roost that is off of the floor. I put the food in the box, the chickens can eat it, but the goats can't reach it.