Do bucks/goat ever stop eating?

[Skyesrocket]

He does stop, it just seems he is always ready for more lol

I have 18 of them that are just like that! I would start worrying if they didn't spend a big part of their day browsing for food.
Only my milkers get pelleted goat feed. I stay away from the grain feeds. He is a handsome fellow. I love the beards on goats.​

 

[arabianequine]

Quote:
Thank you! He has not had the CDT this year yet. I will be giving him it very soon though hopefully this week. Would he eat like that with out it? Why does that effect his eating?

Yeah I have not had no grain here since the girls got sick and they have the loose minerals.

CD/T vaccination doesn't affect their eating...it helps prevent problems from their overeating.

Hes a good weight. He don't and won't get anymore then I give him lol. I was just worried he don't seem like he gets enough.

 

[arabianequine]

Quote:
I have 18 of them that are just like that! I would start worrying if they didn't spend a big part of their day browsing for food.
Only my milkers get pelleted goat feed. I stay away from the grain feeds. He is a handsome fellow. I love the beards on goats.

Thank you! I sent my mom pics of my goats a bit back and that is the one she liked the best. She said the one with the beard. Her favorite color is purple too. My mom never got to see that pic yet though.

 

[arabianequine]

I got new grass hay the other night and all my goats are turning their noses at it. They are spoiled now. They only want the alfalfa.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
So alfalfa hay is not too rich for goats and sheep?

 

[arabianequine]

I have heard things about it for the males urinary tract or something like that.

He is worse then the girls....he has no other food in his pen but what I give him. Oh well he could stand to use a few pounds....jk.

The girls have a feeder in their pen that has some other grass type hay and they go eat that instead. I worry about them if they are pregnant and not getting enough food. Someone said on the BYH that they will eat it when they get hungry. That they are trying to train me to give them what they want and will eat lol.

 

[elevan]

Quote:

Yep, that was me

Goats are VERY GOOD at training their humans.

Grass hay is perfectly fine. I do feed all of my goats a mixed hay (grass/clover/alfalfa). If you have a nice weedy pasture then you don't even need the hay when they are able to fill up on those weeds.


Alfalfa is fine too but I wouldn't feed it solely unless one of these apply:

For the pregnant does: If you want you can get alfalfa pellets and put them out free choice. They will gorge themselves on it the first day or two but them they'll just grab it as a snack...they are really self limiting (as in they really can't overeat them). It'll help them with their calcium intake too. Make sure they have access to browse (weeds) and / or hay too as alfalfa pellets aren't a substitute for long, stemmy matter that is required by goats.

For the boys: Don't worry too much about the alfalfa if you're not feeding grain / pellets. The biggest thing is keeping your Cah ratio at 2:1 and Alfalfa is high in calcium which can help balance out the grain which is usually high in Phosphorus. A diet high in phosphorus can cause urinary calculi (stones) which lodge in the urethra and will eventually cause a very painful death in the goat. Saving the goat requires a very expensive surgery when a blockage occurs.

 

[arabianequine]

Hi there, I did not remember who said that.

I don't give any grain to any of my goats right now. I may get gutsy enough to try again with the girls.

I can use the alfalfa pellets instead of alfalfa? If I keep a feeder full of alfafa pellets are they gonna get sick or should I slowly put it out there so they get use to it.

They have been eating a lot of alfalfa hay and are use to it but not sure if it is the same on there system or not?

 

[elevan]

If you keep the feeder full of alfalfa pellets they will most likely gorge on it for a couple of days...they shouldn't get sick on it though. Then they'll taper off once they realize it's there all the time. The alfalfa pellets are harder to chew than grain pellets too...well not harder...they just take longer.

You'll still need to provide a grass hay or browse time as they need the long stemmy stuff.

 

[arabianequine]

I think he is getting to FAT!

This picture worries me....he did seem like he had some bloat starting up sometimes....it maybe the way he was standing at the time. I did walk him and push on his rumen area tonight. I could hear gas and burping. I gave some baking soda and he would not touch it and then I notices his loose minerals were out so I added the baking soda to more minerals....he ate some that way. I have therabloat drench too on hand but it expired 10/2010. I will use it in a pinch. I need to get new that is not expired though.

This is after I walked him and tried moving the gas around. I might give him some pro bios too.