[Anke]

Maintenance ration for an adult dry female is about a pound of normal/low protein goat mix, GG's are on less than that. My BT type girl gets about 300g of A&P Standard goat mix in the morning, then at lunchtime about 200g of soaked shreds with a sprinkling of seaweed also a sprinkling of goatmix, plus some carrots and apples or any other suitable fruit/veg that's around. Horse haylage (ryegrass based) in the morning, hay at lunchtime and a top up in the evening if she has finished her hay. GG's get the same , but have to share between the two, they are in the same pen.

When it is very cold in the morning they will also get another 200g or so each of warm shreds with their morning ration, as their shed is very cold.

I will start to up their ration about 8 - 6 weeks before kidding, gradually to as much as they will eat in the last week. Then the GG's will also move into seprate pens.

[plumseverywhere]

I use the countrywide goat mix and they have it morning and evening. I give them about a mug full each per feed. I have given the girl some warm soaked beet shreds before but obviously avoid reggie getting to them. they have banana skins every morning (1 each), free access to hay, I also give them some veggie peelings, carrot top/tails every evening feed.
where do you get the seaweed from Anke?
If I'm not feeding enough, how gradually should I be increasing it and does that also mean the beet shreds, do they get added in small amounts to increase?
should also add - they are far from skinny either of them. not fat but their bones are nicely covered (spine well covered and they are cuddly) 

[Anke]

I buy a huge bag of seaweed powder/granules from Ascotts Smallholding. It is quite expensive, but lasts forever. I alsoadd a bit into the concentrate for the sheep. I am sure you can get smaller packs for horses, but it would work out more expensive in the long run. As long as you keep the seaweed dry, I don't think it will go off.

Once my female is coming up to six weeks prior to kidding, I start to feed three times a day, just to balance the increase out.

The BT type girl was on the following:
6 weeks to kidding - 1pound conc + sugarbeet (1 scoop, not measured)
5 weeks to kidding - the same but three meals
4 weeks to kidding - 600 g conc + shreds
3 weeks to kidding - 750 g conc
2 weeks to kidding - 1 kg conc
1 weeks to kidding - 1.2 - 1.5 kgs, but she wouldn't finish it all.

Lots of veg, anything they like at this stage, so they keep eating. the problem is that the developing kid(s) will take up a lot of space, stomach a lot smaller and the goat cannot eat large amounts in a single meal anymore - lots of food in smaller portions and often. the other danger is pregnancy toxaemia, which is when the nutrients required by the kid(s) are higher than the goat can take in in feed and these are therefore taken from her tissues (ketosis results) - sweet, acetone smelling breath and possibly also urine, goat becomes lethargic and very quickly deteriorates. If that occurs (it is quite rare, and with stepped up feeding and observing the goat during feeding it is also quickly noticed) a quick drench with glucose (I have a bottle from the vet ready - will check the tradename tomorrow - its too late now) before the vet is called can help enormously. Both of mine were totally fine last year - but I was worried for weeks before the kidding, and yes I had a set of scales in the goatshed to measure out their feed. I made a plan up for the last six weeks, and inctreased by about 20 to 30 gs per day over the two meals. In the end I left the sugarbeet shreds out, as it was quite warm by then and I thought the mix was higher protein, so better to eat that.

But I guess quite a few weeks until you get to that stage - and by then we will all be getting near to kidding.... I can't wait! First one due beg of March!

[plumseverywhere]

Thanks Anke 

I have none in kid as yet. Savannah is due in season again January 12th (ish) but I don't know what to do at the moment - might start another thread on this but I don't think our current set up is suitable to have kids  eg. reggie would be on his own while she was in a seperate shed with her kids and I'd have to find a way to make them still able to see each other etc...half of me just wants to bring in a new milking goat to tide the business over for milk until I'm able to rationally work out what to do!!

I don't think my 2 are far off of the maintainance feed. I might give them some extra as a 3rd (lunch) meal during the cold weather though. will look into the seaweed. there's a couple of other goat owners nearby who might want to do a bulk buy/share with me.

the snow is thawing very quickly here - do I need to worry about the goats eating grass that has been sodden in snow now?  they have loved the cold weather (weirdo's!!) but now its just slidy and muddy yuk.   

[divanp75]

what exactly do you give them?
concentrates I mean...

from what I understand from people I have talked to every person feeds differently

my ones get a mixture of sheep mix / bran / flaked maise and soaked sugar beet.  twice a day.  Quantities varie.  if i think i have the start of any issues everyone only gets dry or soaked sugar beet.  I think i feed too much   but some days they get carrots or bananas or something else.  No two days are the same

beth you are much better than me at this.  what do you feed?

Diane

[ballingall]

Our maintance ration for a goat that has never kidded is 1 scoop of sheep mix, with a little flaked barley added.

Milkers get more- at present we have one who is supposed to be running through (not very successfully at the moment) and she gets 1 scoop sheep mix, and 1 1/2 scoops of goat mix, plus 1/2 scoop barley. She gets that at night, and the same in the morning but with dairy nuts instead of the 1/2 scoop goat mix. The other milkers who have either dried off, or are being dried off they get 1 scoop sheep mix, 1/2 scoop goat mix, some flaked barley at night. The same in the morning, but dairy nuts instead of the 1/2 scoop goat mix.

As well as this in the winter they get an extra feed at 5pm- we rotate between soaked beetpulp, alfalfa, and chopped veg (cabbage, carrot & apple usually).

Ours aren't out at all just now- weather has been far, far too bad. Though we don't often have them out at this time of year as our ground is so wet here.

I will freely admit we do feed a lot- we feed for them to grow to their absolute full potential, and to produce as much milk as possible whilst retaining show condition. If I was keeping my goats just for the smallholding in order to produce milk etc, I wouldn't feed as much concentrated feed.

Beth