The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: angie on May 14, 2019, 12:10:21 pm
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Looking for fresh ideas as to what hard feed and quantities I could give to my gg yearling wether s and two week old kids
They are mainly yard contained,free access to hay and straw, tree browse given frequently, as is fruit and vegetables
Thanks in advance
Angie
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Well, you've had lots of views and no replies, so I'll start and hope it'll prompt someone else to chime in.
2 week old kids need milk and access to small lamb pellets or mix to start nibbling at.Boys should never have feed intended for ewes etc.
What - depends on what's available where you are and how much you want to pay. Goat mix, cattle or sheep pellets, straight grains.
Quantity - depends on their condition, age and what else they're getting.Adult wethers probably don't need much.
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Thank you Dogwalker for taking the time to reply to my question.
The kids are with mum,have access to lamb creep,hay and straw. The wethers are on course goat mix but want to change this to a more appropriate diet, was looking for ideas of what would be more appropriate
I did purchase BGS feeding goats booklet but was disappointed that it is predominantly aimed at milking goats, very smart paragraph on feeding males. Think it should be renamed feeding guide for milking goats.
Angie
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My young wether goats (I only have the odd one aged one or older as companion to a male), will get small quantities of the same as I feed to females and growing males (shreds, oats and dairy nuts, some maize flakes if I am feeling generous). All my wethers will be in the freezer by age 2. If you are planning on keping one longer than that I would slowly phase out any hard feed and just have a small (and I mean small) amount of shreds or readigrass (or grass nuts) every so often. If you are able to bring branches to your goats in summer the boys should get them as well, and if your goats are not grazing at all I would definitely recommend something like readigrass for them.
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Thank you Anke,
Appreciate your information,the boys are being kept as pets,virtually no grass grazing for the foreseeable future. Opening up an area of gorse for them later this year. They are included in the tree browse,willow,ash,hazel and elder plus bramble tips all year round as available. Also have alfalfa.
Are the shreds your referring to beet shreds?
Angie
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Sorry, no experience of keeping wethers as long term pets.
The angora wethers get fed well as they're producing a lot of mohair for a couple of years then go for meat.The occasional dairyx boys go younger.
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Not a problem Dogwalker thank you for your interest.
After nearly losing the boys and treating them back to health for a year couldn't eat them or re home them, their in our hearts,heart ruled head????
Angie
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Yes, sugar beet shreds.
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Anke thank you for taking the time to reply to my post, it is much appreciated.
Angie
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Sorry to jump in but is it any kind of dairy nuts? I want to move away from the concentrates for female AN ( 1 year 2 months old) and wether (also same age) I don't want to rely on concentrates either as the mill may stop producing it.