Need help with goat feeding plan

[stilwellchick]

Hi there experienced goat people. I have taken care of other peoples goats before but will be getting my own soon and would like to set up a feeding plan. I know everyone does things their own way but could still use advice. I am getting a Mini Nubian doe that freshened in May and is still being milked. I milk her on the weekends and she is giving 12 oz-1 lb each milking. I am also getting 2 Pygmy wethers, about 3 months old. They can eat grass until this winter and then I would rather use alfalfa pellets than hay because the hay is very high here in KS and there is a lot of waste. Do they need goat chow? Should it be medicated chow and if so until what age? I will take them out for walks to forage sometimes also. My question is what chow to feed other than the grain the doe will get while lactating. Should the doe get any other chow other than her grain? Also, no one around here seems to give Bo Se injections, everyone sayes that they can get enough selenium from the the minerals you provide them. My vet will get it for me if I ask him to, should I give it? Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Smoky73]

I have never even heard of Bo Se out here, but if its a selenium supplement, you can get Vit E and Selenium crumbled supplement for horses. I feed it already to my Silkies as a supplement.

I do not do things by the book, or by the expert goat people, but from how the goat breeders do it out here.

I have a mineral block for them, and we feed about 1/2 coffee can of sweet feed per day, and 2 flakes of grass hay twice a day per 3 nannies.
I do give them their shots every year, and havent ever had any problems with sickness or anything so what I have been doing must be okay.
I do not feed pelleted goat feed, though I have seen it in the store. I do not feed alfalfa as it seems to make my goats bloat. I might give a few alfalfa pellets to them in the winter time though, they do enjoy them. You will still need some form of hay I think though besides just alfalfa pellets I wouldnt go with just the pellets.

 

[Chatychick]

Well I dont give slat or mineral blocks as they dont really work well for dairy goats and I do give Bo-se shots to my goats. I use loose minerals and loose salt for the goats. I feed mine whole oats , some sweet feed if they are being milked for energy. I also feed alfafa pellets and mine love them as much as hay. I havent ever had 1 bloat from alfafa pellets. When my girls are PG they have alfafa pellets out 24/7 and that way they get enough calcium. With wethers you really have to watch what you feed them to prevent UC which will kill them as they cant pee. I feed my wethers oats and hay and alfafa pellets, during the winter I give them a little sweet feed for energy but you have to watch it as they can put on weight real easy. You need to order some ammonium chloride to have on hand. I keep it and only use it when the weather changes. Ive only had 1 problem with UC. With a milking doe you need to definatly give her either alfafa pellets or alfafa hay as she will need the calcium from it. I have raised goats for years and grass hay will give bloat faster than alfafa hay. You just have to check the hay before you give it to them and only give in moderation till they get used to it. You have to do this with any changes with goats like feed and hay. Green alfafa hay that is just out of the field isnt to good for them as its not cured yet. I basically give alfafa pellets to keep from wasting money. I get more for my money this way as I dont have alot of hay that they dont want to eat to clean up. If you make changes to their diet you need to do it slowly.
When you get your goats get some feed from them and slowly change them and if you can possibly get that type use the feed they use or change. When I sell a goat I send feed with them and show them what I use and how much to feed. Good luck

 

[dfchaser]

I do a feed mix of:
50 lbs goat feed
25 lbs alfalfa pellets
25 lbs oats
25 lbs hay stretcher
3 lbs black oil sunflower seeds

they get that in portions once a day, then free range on hay and grass.

They also have free range loose minerals as they can break their small teeth on blocks.

 

[dixygirl]

What is the ammonium chloride for please and how is it administered?

 

[stilwellchick]

I have read that it helps prevent urinary calculi in castrated males and bucks also. I know Purina makes a product that has it in there, you can go into their website at Purina.com and read on the different goat feed products and how they should be used.