The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Festus on January 29, 2021, 06:22:44 pm

Title: Feeding Goats
Post by: Festus on January 29, 2021, 06:22:44 pm
Hi.  I’m interested in what people feed their goats.  When I got my first three goats nearly four years ago the previous owner was not available to advise me on what she’d been feeding so, having no confidence that I would get it right, I opted for a commercial goat mix.  I now have eight goats and still feed goat mix.  However, goats being goats, they are very picky and leave the bits they don’t like.  I was just wondering if I could make my own mix thereby omitting the bits they reject and hopefully also saving a bit of money.  They have ad lib hay and are out during the day foraging ( when forage is available) in a pasture and small copse.  In my situation what would other people feed?
Title: Re: Feeding Goats
Post by: Anke on January 30, 2021, 01:42:08 pm
My milkers get several different individual feed stuff - they do their own mixing... Dampened sugar beet shreds, rolled oats, a general calf-type mix and cattle dairy nuts. The latter two only when milking or growing. Plus seaweed granules if and when I remember (some love it others don't), also always have either some readigrass or alfa a on hand esp during winter or early lactation. Pony carrots cut into sticks during autumn/winter, branches during summer.


You can feed any cattle feed to goats (better for the extra copper in it), and it is usually cheaper than proper goat mix, though ingredients will be very similar.
Title: Re: Feeding Goats
Post by: Backinwellies on February 01, 2021, 07:07:47 am
agree with  Scarlet Dragon .... depends what your goats are.   I wouldnt want to mix my own feed (wouldnt know I had it right.   I do pick and mix commercial feeds .....  goat mix , sheep pellets, calf mix  and cattle pellets.... ringing the changes does reduce pickyness.   Mine are breeding females so need the feed. However the one barren one has to be restricted as she is fat!
Title: Re: Feeding Goats
Post by: macgro7 on February 01, 2021, 04:28:10 pm
You can feed any cattle feed to goats (better for the extra copper in it), and it is usually cheaper than proper goat mix, though ingredients will be very similar.
I checked some goats mixes and they had very little or no coper at all!
Much better to feed dairy goats a calf mix (nutlets).
Title: Re: Feeding Goats
Post by: Festus on February 05, 2021, 06:23:02 pm
Thank you to all of you for your advice.  It's really interesting about calf mix.  I shall certainly take that all on board and ring some changes to see if that affects their pickiness. None of my goats are in kid or milking.
Title: Re: Feeding Goats
Post by: Backinwellies on February 06, 2021, 07:09:52 am
. None of my goats are in kid or milking.

They probably dont need any feed then (the odd handful to keep friendly maybe) which is maybe why they are picky?

Also you can buy calf nut ......  pelleted feed so cant pick the bits they like
Title: Re: Feeding Goats
Post by: Anke on February 06, 2021, 02:29:19 pm
Thank you to all of you for your advice.  It's really interesting about calf mix.  I shall certainly take that all on board and ring some changes to see if that affects their pickiness. None of my goats are in kid or milking.


They should only get Alfa A or Readigrass as a treat, plus maybe carrots, cabbage, bananas, apple, kale.... no need for concentrate at all.
Title: Re: Feeding Goats
Post by: macgro7 on February 07, 2021, 03:06:14 pm
To be fair goats would be very healthy eating just hay, ivy and brambles - the only reason I feed them concentrate is to give them minerals (mainly copper).

Which bring me to the following question:
Pig feed has a lot of copper - could you use it? Or does it have too many other things not so good to them? I assume its more similiar to chicken food (but less calcium).
Title: Re: Feeding Goats
Post by: Anke on February 07, 2021, 05:26:57 pm
To be fair goats would be very healthy eating just hay, ivy and brambles - the only reason I feed them concentrate is to give them minerals (mainly copper).

Which bring me to the following question:
Pig feed has a lot of copper - could you use it? Or does it have too many other things not so good to them? I assume its more similiar to chicken food (but less calcium).


Pig food is also high in iron - and the stuff that goes in it doesn't bear thinking about.... I would stick to ruminant feed.
Title: Re: Feeding Goats
Post by: macgro7 on February 07, 2021, 07:27:00 pm
Ok great. I was looking at it once in the shop, when they run out of calf nuts, at the end i just bought goat mix (with very little copper).