Goat chat thread!!!! All friends welcome!!

[missbrit2006]

What does everyone feed there goats

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Hay, pasture, tree trimmings, weeds, some seasonal produce, lettuce, pumpkin, apples, goat minerals and baking soda.

 

[missbrit2006]

Hay, pasture, tree trimmings, weeds, some seasonal produce, lettuce, pumpkin, apples, goat minerals and baking soda.

Ok just seeing I've been feeding mine hay pasture and lettuce Etc but she won't leave the chicken feed alone and always acts like she's starving

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sometimes in winter I will give mine a small bit of corn, they will scream every day, every time I step out of the house, any type of ration mix will turn them into screamers, most years I don't feed it and it's much quieter, it will take up to a month for them to stop, goats are like kids, they want the candy not the vegetables. Goats will eat themselves sick, then to death, if their grain or ration isn't controlled, or eliminated, so hopefully yours doesn't get too much chicken feed.

 

[H Diamond]

Yes she has milk coming in there's a good possibility then that she could of got pregnant while at her other home where ever that was she was in the country I was walking and she happened to follow me. I've had her for 70 days how soon does the milk come in before she gives birth

So, curious, how big was she when you got her and how big is she now?
A goat can have what is called a precocious udder, where they start lactating without being near a buck.
They can also get mastitis, yes even this young, and that will cause an increase in udder size also.
Have a pic of the udder?
As a side note, if you feel that she is bred, please take her to a vet to determine if that is true or not. The goat in that picture is FAR too young to be having babies. If she is bred, you will more than likely have kidding complications that could ultimately end up in the death of momma and babies. I'm not trying to scare you, just trying to emphasize how serious this situation might be.
That being said, the goat looks to be under six months old, but if you can give me an idea how much she's grown since you've had her it might help.

 

[Serenity06]

Hay, pasture, tree trimmings, weeds, some seasonal produce, lettuce, pumpkin, apples, goat minerals and baking soda.

I feed the same except pumpkin and apples, because they don't like it. I also feed them some bread and sweet feed. They're so picky, and waste a lot because they'll chew something and then drop it and go for more and do it again like they expect something better! Why baking soda? I've never heard of that.

 

[H Diamond]

Ok just seeing I've been feeding mine hay pasture and lettuce Etc but she won't leave the chicken feed alone and always acts like she's starving

Does she always have access to the chicken feed, or is she an escape artist? If she can always get into it, you need to make it so she can't. As the above poster stated, goats love"candy" and grain is candy to them. You can definitely feed her an appropriate amount of grain that is defined for a goat, but chicken feed isn't your best option. If her condition is good (shiny slick coat, ribs not showing, etc) she's doing fine. If she is thin or had a dull coat, pale inner eyelids, etc, then you need to do some checking on worms and nutrition.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Baking soda keeps their stomachs from becoming too acidic, and also helps prevent bloat, they eat more mineral in the winter and more baking soda in the summer probably because of all the different plants they are consuming while on pasture. I provide it free choice, they do fight over it at times.

 

[missbrit2006]

do you have a picture??

 

[Kelsykin]

Here are our goats :


Daisy



Goober




Queenie, Grace and Sophia




Snickers