last questions before picking up the kids next weekend.

[agnes_day]

ok..we went and bought a bale of hay and a big bag of purina goat chow. i have been told that the hay is to be free choice, but how much goat chow do the 2 of them need a day? do they need anything else?

 

[Granolamom]

Hello, fellow future goat owner! I'll be getting 2 of these lovely creatures within the next few weeks, as well, and don't know the answer to this question, either (didn't even know there was such a thing as "Purina Goat Chow"). So, I'm bumping you up, maybe we'll get some answers

 

[ThornyRidge]

Goats really don't need "goat chow or grain" at all unless they are growing kids, in milk or pregnant. Assuming your goats are kids I would offer them up no more than about a cup per day.. Goats really only need good quality hay, clean fresh water and free choice goat minerals ( I prefer Sweetlix Meatmaker) and baking soda and of course all the love and attention you can give them.. As they grow and when weather conditions improve supplement with healthy browse (blackberry briars, multiflora rose, handful of black oil sunflower seeds, pine trees, etc) just be careful as there are numerous poisonous plants out there too.. check with your local ag agency for what is in your area.. Also I would suggest stocking up on as much good hay as you can-just keep it in a dry rodent free, well ventilated area. YOu will soon see that goats go through a lot of hay.. eat quite a bit but waste soooo much more! Good luck with your goats.. check out some good goat sites for more information a good one is www.goatwisdom.com and check out their message board for a helpful bunch of goat enthusiasts such as myself. Welcome to the world of goats.. just know they are very addicting.

 

[cutiepieacres]

always start slow on grain or really anything new, for the first few days just offer a handful or so and after a few days add in another handful to work up to the amount you will eventually want to feed. If you just give them the full amount right off the bat they could get a tummy ache from the sudden change. If they are used to being fed hay I might even keep them on straight hay for a few days until they settle in as the move is already a stress on the system. Goats are pretty hardy and good with change I always just like to take it slow.

As far as grain goes I give my pygmy girls about a cup each for dinner and my bucks get about 3 or 4 cups each at dinner. It would depend on the breed and age of your goats on how much you will feed.

 

[agnes_day]

so is the goat chow and grain the same thing then?
we have a regular backyard, with some mulberry bushes and stuff like that growing, nothing all that substantial in the long run.

 

[cutiepieacres]

yeah its pretty much the same, goat chow isnt usually soaked in molasses and usually comes in pelleted form instead on individual pieces of oats, corn etc. I feed a meat goat chow to my pygmies because it has a more correct cahos ratio then most standard grain mixtures do.

 

[agnes_day]

this stuff almost looks like breakfast cereal! its all sweet and sticky, with lots of stuff in it. i know the chickens have been sneaking into it!

ok, so i should give them a cup of that a day along with their hay and minerals etc etc?

 

[agnes_day]

http://www.goatnutrition.com/OURPRODUCTS/PRODUCTS/GoatChow/default.aspx

so it says to feed this free choice? also..what is creep feed?

 

[cutiepieacres]

After weaning, I wouldnt feed free choice. What breed, sex, age of goats are you getting?

Creep feeding is a way of feeding so the babies can get to the food free choice but mommas cant. My creep feeder is a pen with a tiny door that only babies can get into so they can have their own food beause the big goats only get grain once a day the babies can have access all the time.

This feed is more of what I consider a "grain" I guess they are both the same really I just use the grain and chow to differentiate the two textures.

 

[agnes_day]

they are pygmies and one is 2 months old and the other one is 3 months old. a neutered boy and a little girl

now ive read you are supposed to restrict the boys on grain so im not sure how i am supposed to feed him...i have read tons of information but im still confused.