Can’t find goat feed anywhere (Southern Ontario)!

Coopsmom

Chirping
Apr 17, 2019
63
58
79
Ontario, Canada
Hi everyone!

I brought home 10 dairy bucklings the other day and they are all doing well on their milk replacer and pretending to eat pasture ☺️

I would like to introduce some goat starter ration but I’m having a terrible time finding anything other than a cheap sweet feed at TSC, which I’m not keen on.

I live in Belwood, near Guelph/Orangeville Ontario. Let me know if you can recommend a feed store near me that carries goat stuff!
 
They’re between 1-3 weeks old right now.

I was wondering if I should offer loose minerals now or should they be getting all they need from the milk replacer?

They have tons of pasture but of course they’re just nibbling on the odd dandelion or clover here and there.
 
You don't need a special goat feed. I never fed any and I raised dairy goats for over 40 years. Any good calf starter will do. I fed my adult goats COB. That is a mix of corn, oats, and barley. Since I fed high protein alfalfa hay, the protein in the COB was sufficient. Once the goats are grown, they do not grain at all unless they are milking or pregnant.
 
Thanks for the advice! One of my local stores has a calf/lamb pellet. They’re just some buck kids we’re growing for meat so the less time/effort/money that has to go into them the better!
 
Thanks for the advice! One of my local stores has a calf/lamb pellet. They’re just some buck kids we’re growing for meat so the less time/effort/money that has to go into them the better!
Skip the bagged calf/lamb/goat feed and give them hay if you are trying to lessen your cost. You can finish with a VERY cheap grain such as COB if desired.
 
Thanks for the advice! One of my local stores has a calf/lamb pellet. They’re just some buck kids we’re growing for meat so the less time/effort/money that has to go into them the better!
That sounds like just what you need. If you haven't already vaccinated your kids for tetanus and enterotoxemia, do so at once. You ought to be able to get a vial of CD/T at the feed store and that should take care of it. Entero strikes without warning and when it does, it is deadly.
 
If I were you, I would start out with the calf/lamb pellet and then switch over to something like COB when they are older.
 
Oh yea? Will they even bother with the hay if they have abundant fresh pasture and browse?

I’ll check out my feed store for COB. At what age would you introduce it? I’m making it very obvious that this is my first foray into raising goats!
 

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