The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: sokel on July 15, 2013, 09:15:45 am
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I know I have posted about this before but trying again
we are trying to find some high protein nuts for the Boer goats.
Another Boer breeder feeds a mix of 31% protein nuts, Flaked Maze, flaked Barley, Crushed Peas and readi grass of equal quantaties and her herd of 50 + Goats are doing fantastic on it and I want to source the high protein nuts in the north of england
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How high in protein are beef cattle nuts? I would have thought that they are your only possibility? Unless you mix your own?
but 31% that's quite high - no mucky bums on this? I am surprised.
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We feed 1st stage calf pellets ( 17% protein ) to our Boer & boer X goats along with barley and a little sugabeet.
All our goats look good and our kids are also eating this feed. :goat:
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i feed mine calf rearer as they can only just manage the cow rolls. they get sheep coarse mix sometimes but waste some of it. it does put weight on them as without it mine are too skinny. the kids eat it too.
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The beef nuts are around 18% aswell . These are called high protein nuts for cattle. Not 1 of her goats had dirty bums and all had lovely healthy droppings. When we got the 3 goats off her she gave us some to start them off on it and they, aswell as our own loved it with no ill effect
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I've seen these advertised more as 'balancer's ie they are meant to be fed with a farmer's own home grown forage so the resulting protein level is much lower. I would have thought any decent sized agri/feed merchants would have them - just explainn what you are after (and probably buy it in the 'yard' not the shop).
http://www.hipeak.co.uk/prods/organic-peak-gp-cattle-sheep-in-20kg-bags.html (http://www.hipeak.co.uk/prods/organic-peak-gp-cattle-sheep-in-20kg-bags.html)
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I fed those calf/beef pellets which are 30% protein and mix them with oats to reduce the protein level. I had no trouble with dirty bums but my milker and a couple of other does never put weight on and now I have gone for Mole Valley goat mix. They liked it better but skinnies are still worryingly skinny.
Maybe I will go back to calf reader nuts for a bit.
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I saw this mentioned in an old BGS journal I was given yesterday:
http://gnltd.co.uk/goat-nutrition/nutrition/756454-caprotein-20kg-pack.html (http://gnltd.co.uk/goat-nutrition/nutrition/756454-caprotein-20kg-pack.html)
It's as Smudger and Scots Girl say, they are designed to be 28% protein so that you can add locally available barley or oats to reduce the protein level to your requirements, just as well at that price LOL.
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Wow that is expensive. The ones I had were about £10 a bag
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I feed beef rearer nuts to all my goats...............16% PROTEIN ........and have no problem with my girls putting on weight and producing 6 - 8 litres each of milk per day.
It is essential to ensure they are getting the minerals/vitamins needed for your area.............everywhere is different but copper deficiency is a problem as is selenium & Zinc...............all of which are vital for a goats welfare. I personally use Brinicombes Goat Balancer which I find answers well for my herd.
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i presume you are wanting to build muscle quickly?
do you have a harbros near you? my friend developed his own blend with harbros for maxium growth for cattle (we feed cattle feed to our goats). they still make it to order and its called the gillander blend. its higher than even their own brand maximum growth feed.
im sure you could get it delivered by the ton if you ordered it especially. or alternately ask them to make you something from scratch. if you buy regularly, they will make it.