My 1st Goats!! Many Questions

[RoosterML]

I believe I will be getting 2 Nigerian goats. 2 1/2 years old twins. Wether and an unfixed doe. I finished converting an area in the barn into an 8x8 stall. I made a hay feeder. Now I am wondering what minerals I should get along with baking soda. I plan on giving Grain 1 or 2 times a day in addition to the hay. Hay will likely be 1st cut Timothy. They will have access to a fenced in yard.

 

[RoosterML]

My Question are as follows:
I plan on having the feed contain ammonium chloride. Is that correct?
Some of the goat minerals I see also have ammonium chloride in it.
Is that ok or will it be touch much?
I also plan on baking soda free choice.
So what else am I missing???

 

[Callender Girl]

Be careful feeding grain to the wether. Too much can result in a medical condition where he won't be able to urinate.

My miniature goats get alfalfa hay, pasture and yard grazing in the warm months, occasional scoops of Purina goat and sheep feed, along with a commercial mineral block because I wasn't sure they were getting enough copper. Of course, for YEARS I just provided a salt block and didn't give mineral block, and those goats all did fine.

Having started all gloom and doom, let me just say: "Goats!!! Wheeee!!!" I fell in love with the first Nigerian dwarf/African pygmy cross bottle baby that was put in my arms. Mini goats have been a part of my life for about 20 years, and -- aside from the challenges in keeping them INSIDE fences -- they are delightful creatures. Congrats!

 

[RoosterML]

Some Photos. Barn not 100% complete but will do until nicer weather.

 

[RoosterML]

Be careful feeding grain to the wether. Too much can result in a medical condition where he won't be able to urinate.

I was thinking the feed would be good for them and that is why it contains the ammonium chloride for the wether.
Should I not give bagged feed at all
just give once a day?

 

[Callender Girl]

I fed my first goats alfalfa hay and Purina Goat Chow, and all were fine EXCEPT one of the wethered boys. My vet said too much grain in a goat that may have been wethered too early caused crystals in his urinary tract, like human kidney stones. He had to have surgery, and sadly, didn't survive that. So, maybe I am just being too cautious. To this day, I limit the adults to about a quarter cup of bagged feed a day, and often none at all.

There's a lot of good information out there, so don't just rely on me. The Storey's series has one on dairy goats that I used when I first started out.

And, your barn looks great. My goats would love to live in some place that nice!!

 

[RoosterML]

@Callender Girl you sure are right, a whole lot of reading out there. From what I am gathering it looks like hay is the way to go. Have you ever used loose minerals and feed it free choice?

 

[chickens really]

I was taught to feed the bag feed only by a handful each and unlimited access to hay and forage. I have a mineral block and add about a big tablespoon of baking soda every couple of days to the morning bagged feed.

 

[Callender Girl]

My only experience is with the mineral blocks; I know nothing about feeding loose minerals.

 

[chickens really]

My only experience is with the mineral blocks; I know nothing about feeding loose minerals.

Oh loose minerals I've never tried. I buy a goat mineral block and use the baking soda too...