[Shawn]

Hi i have had two Boer Goats and two Sheep for a couple of weeks and they have settled in great however when it comes to feeding time i am feeding goat mix and sheep food accordingly every night but the sheet like the goat food and visaversa will this do any harm and are they receiving enough which is about a kilo of each mix.

[Brucklay]

Please say someone if I am wrong but I get course sheep feed for my goats and sheep which is supposed to be fine for all but I had it in the back of my mind that it didn't work the other way around - so check it out - someone more knowledgeable than me will post soon.

[piggy]

Hi
I dont have any goats but i feed my sheep a goat mix that is also suitable for sheep as they love it and will not eat the sheep mix,dont know where abouts you are as its made local to me but im sure you will be able to find a mix suitable for both to eat.

[little blue]

if there is traces of copper then the goat mix is unsuitable for sheep.
  ok for goats to have sheep mix IF they access to copper eg from mineral licks

[ballingall]

Goats can eat sheep mix, but sheep shouldn't eat goat mix. Goats need higher quanties of copper than sheep, and the food is made according to this. Goats are ok on sheep mix especially if they are supplemented with a copper mineral, or cattle dairy nuts (which have a higher copper level as well). Too much copper is not good for sheep.


Beth

[Shawn]

thanks very much for the feedback i think i will go for the one feed for all.... I know i sound like a novice but thats because i am and i suppose we all have to start somewhere..... so heres the next stupid question do you do your own worming or is it best to get the vet in ? if own which is the best product for sheep and goats and how often ....

[Brucklay]

OK worming - your supposed to rotate wormer over time at animals can get resilient - at present I'm using panacur for both sheep and goats - it's licenced for sheep but the vet told me to use 1.5 x sheep dose for goats but I have read 1.6 x on here I think but that's in the ball park - it's a drench so easy to do so on this occasion I'm sure you'll manage

[Anke]

If your sheep and goats share pasture you will have to have ONE worming system for ALL. Get and initial worm count done (for each species separately), then start with a wormer recommended by the vet. Worming practices are different for different people and their individual set-ups, so if you are just starting out get advice from the vet. If you milk your goats you can only use Panacur during their lactation, ivermectins are not suitable.

Also include fluke treatment in your thinking. and yes goats are about 1.6 x sheep dose.

[princesspiggy]

i love the look of the boers, what are your plans for them? are you going to eat/breed them?

[McRennet]

Hello, I'm new on here and am about to bring 2 goatlings and potentially 4 kids back to my land. They are currently in Somerset!
One goatling is Anglo-Nubian X British Saanen and the other is Anglo-Nubian X British Toggenburg.
Both are in kid..
My problem is trying to figure out the best feed to give them all (obviously in varying quantities due to ages etc)
The nearest place to me only sells one goat mix and that Dodson & Horrell Goat mix which is molassed. Would this be a good one to go for are there much better alternatives. They will be getting hay, straw and a mineral lick plus all day access to pasture and playground (as yet to be constructed!) However I am quite happy to feed delivered by courier if its a better option.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Many thanks,

[ballingall]

Hello,

Congratulations on being about to get your first goats! Dodson and Horrell Goat mix is fine, we use it here as well. Although it is expensive, so we don't use just that, but use it for our pregnant goats/ milkers as an extra feed. You can feed them a sheep mix instead as stated above, but what might be best to start with, is find out what the current owner is feeding and try and get some of that. Then, you can start weaning them off what they are used to gradually, and start feeding what you find most convenient/easy to get.

Generally I would supplement them with some other things as well, especially when pregnant to give them some variety. Soaked sugar beetpulp is good, also you can get various alflafa or dried grass products which they like. Some veggies usually go down well too.


Beth

[McRennet]

Hi!

this is great. Seeing is a two of them are in kid the molassed mix probably wouldn't be too bad. plus the wee ones are only nibbling, not really eating it. I have already arranged to have a bag of the nuts that they are currently on so that I can introduce the new feed gradually.
Do you mean the sugar beet flakes that you can get for horses? Having had horses previously I gave them that too but I was very aware of trying to keep excess sugar out of their diet in order to banish any sore feet. I starting to see that it's not like that with goats! I can get Alfalfa locally, but again, molassed or non-molassed? I have already spoke to the neighbours and all are wanting to contribute veg peelings (with the exception of onions, citrus, kale etc)! Bless them!

What quantities do you feed of the D&H mix??

Many thanks.

[ballingall]

During most of the beginning of the pregancy, they just get their standard amount- for two living together about 1 scoop of mix (sheep mix), plus some barley and some dairy nuts morning and night. Then in the last 6-7 weeks, start to increase how much they get gradually, by a 1/4 of a scoop at a time. Thats when we start giving goatlings some goat mix. By the time they kid we are giving them about 2 scoops morning and night, each, as opposed to together. We also give them an extra feed at 5pm, either alfalfa, chopped up veg (carrot, apple & cabbage), or soaked beetpulp.

For the alfalfa- either molassed or un-molassed, we have fed both, they seem to like the molassed stuff better. We also feed cattle dairy nuts- if yours are used to nuts, then it might be worth seeing if you can get hold of some.

Beth

[wytsend]

I stopped feeding any of the goat mixes when I discovered the mineral content is designed not to hurt sheep if they accidentally eat it.

Goats require almost identical amounts of copper as a cow and as most of UK is copper deficient, it makes senses to use cattle dairy nuts.   Considerably cheaper than goat mixes by up to £3 a bag in some cases.

I also use sugar beet pellets or shreds both soaked and dry.  My girls decline alfalfa.

This subject is one that  evrybody has an opinion,  but if you keep it basic with plenty of forage available at all times, then you won't go wrong.

Be warned.... some goats won't touch mineral licks or food that has had mineral powder added.  Another reason to feed cattle food that has it all included.

[fruitfarm]

  Shawn, if your goats are pets rather than potential milkers (or dinners!) they won't need a lot of grain. Particularly if they are wethers and some schools of thought say" NO grain" to help avoid stones in their waterworks (UC). Personally, we feel it would be mean of us not to feed the males when the girls are being fed so they have just a mug full of mainly rolled oats with a sprinkle of mollassed feed just so they don't feel deprived. But they don't really need it provided they have access to lots of hay. That's the same sort of mix that we give our sheep too. 
 I'm not saying this is the case for pregnant or lactating females or growing youngsters though (before you all jump on me!!)

All the goats and sheep have access to red Rockies which contain a certain amount of copper and the sheep don't seem to have come to any harm although I do see them having the occasional nibble. It can't be too harmful as we have just lost one of our original sheep at the age of 15 and her friend of the same age is still going strong!