Billy doesn't know what hay is!

[gritsar]

Hey y'all -

We got Billy the goat some nice timothy hay and he's totally ignoring it. He kept looking at me and then at his feed bucket waiting for it to be filled with the goat pellets he's used to. I tried putting some of his goat treat pellets on the hay figuring he might accidently ingest some eating the treat and decide he likes it, but that didn't work. Any suggestions?

Also, we took him with the dogs (and the cat

) on his first walk outside the yard today. I'm wondering...our normal walk is approx. 1/4 mile to the big pond and then back; with lots of rest stops along the way for the cat and then a good rest and water at the pond. Would it hurt Billy to walk that far?

 

[hcammack]

I think that it will do billy alot of good to exersise I don't know about the hay does he know about Grass?

 

[5.0 Clunker]

What I would do if it where my goat, would be to not feed him anything else but the hay. He will get hungery enough to eat the hay, but thats just me and I am from the "old new school"

 

[Wildsky]

Where do you have the hay? Is it off the ground in some kind of feeder?

Some goats won't eat off the ground. Mine will, he'll stand next to the horse and eat with her - we also have some trees (I need to figure out how to protect them) but I'll put hay in the tree

and he LOVES that....

But he (my goat) does prefer to eat out of the feeder.

 

[gritsar]

We have what is basically an old freezer basket wired to the fence for the hay, plus his grain and water buckets. He managed to get his grain bucket loose today and was busy kicking it around the yard when we got home from a day in town. Apparently he was unhappy that it was allowed to get empty.
He ignores the grass, loves the pin oak tree. Luckily it's growing pretty upright and he can only reach two lower wayward branches.
I'll try taking away the grain, but I hope it doesn't take long. I hope Billy gives in before I do.

 

[Wildsky]

Its hard let me tell you!!!

My horse and goat have been SPOILED - I started a routine (before we even got the goat) of feeding two-three cups of senior feed in the morning and 3-4 cups at night - they share, but its becoming too expensive and my horse doesn't NEED it really - I started it when she shipped in, to help her gain weight and get onto the new hay...
Anyway - I stopped the morning feed this week, and EVERY day they're waiting for me at the gate all happy to see me, I walk by feeling SO guilty - let the chickens out then see to everyones' water..... with the horse and goat dancing around waiting for that blue bucket.

Its VERY hard!!! At least I get to feed them in the evening still... not sure if I'll ever stop that!

 

[Haviris]

If this is your only goat that's a tough one! I once had a few kids that broke their legs and had to be stalled, they'd never had to eat hay and I had a terrible time getting them to start eating the hay, I ended up putting an older goat in with them who quickly taught them how to eat it.

 

[helmstead]

5.0 Clunker :

What I would do if it where my goat, would be to not feed him anything else but the hay. He will get hungery enough to eat the hay, but thats just me and I am from the "old new school"

I agree. And he can walk that far LOL. He'll probaby browse while he's out and that will get some other food in his tummy.​

 

[Ang]

Can you find some grass-alfalfa mixed hay? I don't know if that would help or not.

 

[Chatychick]

I have found that if you act like your eating it so will he after a while. They learn by example. I know it sounds crazy but that is how I got my babies to eat it. Also the walks are good for them and the love cedar trees when there isnt anything green. Some pine trees are posionus to them. Cant remember which 1's but I cut cedar branches for mine during the winter its a treat for them. I bet he had hay before and just forgot what it was so he needs a reminder. Also tehy do get bored so I have a plastic apple hung from a lead rope and its where they cant hang themselves but the butt it alot too. Get a ball or something for him to play with and he might need a friend. Good luck