Do you limit goat and sheep feed to your animals?

[Thomas423]

One more question. What is the best hay to give the girls? Alphafa, Timothy or other?
They do not graze very much in their pen. Don't seem to like grass. They do love leaves but our trees don't have any more low branches for us to cut off for them.

 

[kuntrygirl]

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Don't feel bad. I was the same way about 2 years ago when I got my sheep. I fed them UNLIMITED feed until the people that I bought them from told me that they were TOO FAT. They came over and showed me how much to feed and what type of food to feed them. I was feeding my sheep the Show Feed Pellets. They told me to stop feeding that IMMEDIATELY because it was too rich, so I did and they lost some weight. They said that the Show Feed Pellets were mostly for those that have 4H sheep or "show" sheep. The also told me about the 1 cup per day. And you're right about them letting you know when their bowls are empty. They baahhhhh VERY loudly!!! It just kills me to hear that and I'm a softy but at the same time, I try not to overfeed them. I guess it's still a learning process for all of us. I'm taking all of the suggestions that everyone is posting and will incorporate what I'm not doing, in to the schedule to get my sheep on track, so that they are not fat and bloated.

 

[kuntrygirl]

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waiting for the answer on this one as well.

 

[Barbara9642]

As far as what type of hay- if you can get access to it, rotate it. One is never perfect. I simply get what is local- less cost that way. They are goats, they don't have the fussy digestive systems like horses do. You can rotate or just take whatever your local supplier has. I used to live in Port Deposit, MD- but didn't have goats then so I dont know what is local. Goats are not fussy, especially if you have either a goat block or free minerals.

As far as breaking them from the feed- same as breaking a baby from a bottle- messy, but somebody has to do it. They will quit crying after a few days when they get the hint. Only way I know of to do it.

Another thing- (sorry, love my goat babies) do not, do not, do NOT cut branches off trees and feed to them- there are some trees that are fine if the goats eat of them, and become toxic when they are cut. Please check your trees for toxicity before you give them to the goat. If a goat grazes something and gets sick, it will not graze it again. If you cut limbs they will eat them, and if it is toxic they may not realize the connection.

Goats generally eat from top to bottom and outside in. They will graze grass, but only if there is nothing else to sidetrack them. As long as you are giving them feed they probably won't graze the grass. But they will when that have to. So, give them a bit of feed, free choice hay, supplement with a block (I get my goat block at tractor supply- if I remember, there used to be, like 20 years ago, a feed store in rising sun) or minerals, plenty of water and let them graze.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Excuse my ignorance, but what are free minerals? I'm sorry. I'm still learning.

 

[Barbara9642]

Kuntrygirl- asking questions is not ignorance. It is intelligence.

Free minerals are just vitamins for goats. You can order them online, I myself have never found them in a feed store. You put them out for the goats and they eat what they want- hence "free minerals". DH made a PVC pipe holder, long pipe, screw cap on tap for me to fill, opening on bottom for goats to eat. It is clamped to the side of a building.

 

[kuntrygirl]

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Oooooooooohhhhh. Gotcha'. Now I understand. Thanks for the explanation.

 

[username taken]

Alfalfa for in-milk does, grassy hay for everyone else

Now, contrary to what everyone is thinking - when I am feeding my girls up for a show, they get unlimited access to 20% protein grain. They limit themselves very well, never get sick, and do not get overly fat provided you have plenty of area for them to exercise. Now, if you have unlimited food and not much exercise, then you get into trouble.

Also - the other time when you want them to have unlimited access to grain - is when they are babies - up till about 3 mths old.

Yes goats will eat grass, goats being browsers is a myth, goats are actually mixed feeders, enjoying both browsing (trees) and grazing (grasses). I've never had a problem cutting branches for the goats.

 

[kuntrygirl]

These are pics of my sheep. Tell me if you think they are too fat. I hope I can post the pics. I have only posted pics a couple of times.

Maybe I am feeding my sheep too much if my boy Junior is sleeping in the feeding trays. lol

 

[username taken]

Your sheep look fantastic! They are in very nice condition, not thin, but they are not too fat - they are quite trim over the tail head and very trim in the brisket - the two areas where they will deposit fat when they get too much fat.
So really, I would leave your feeding as is. It is obviously working really well for you