[jaykay]

Not only do my goats like sheep mix and the sheep like the goat food but all the chickens like goat food and the goats mostly prefer chicken food 

I think you're getting it about right if they're growing or milking - otherwise as fruitfarm says, they probably don't need as much as a kilo. See how they're going, if they get 'rolls' at the side of their tail base and you can't feel their ribs, they're getting too fat 

[fifixx]

I feed organic smallholders mix from B & W Feeds in Dorset - if you google them, they will probably say where you can get it from in Somerset.  Very happy with it and i have a mineral lick too (not that they seem to like it very much!)

[Shawn]

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

they are currently 11 months old so we hope to keep these two for life and breed from them we will then take the offspring to slaughter. They are fantastic animals they want to know what you are doing all of the time and they follow every step you take when you are in the field with them.... Fab purchase glade i done it....

[goosepimple]

Hi, as if you haven't had enough advice already - but anyway - I feed my goats our ewe and lamb mix and some flaked maize (which they love) - we also give both the sheep and the goats lots and lots of branches from our trees - they are especially mad for fruit tree branches - they also love borage (given in small doses) which grows like weeds, the tree bark is great though - when they see us coming in with big branches they get super excited! Good luck! 

[McRennet]

Oh for Pete's sake!

They travelled well to their new home, went into the stable, had a wee, had a poo, drank some water and have been eating the hay plentifully but are showing no interest whatsoever in their new feed.
I made up a very small amount of D&H Goat mix with un-molassed Alfalfa. Completely turned their noses up at it.
Is this normal, should I be concerned? It doesn't help that the home they have come from wouldn't let me take any of their current food with them so that I could gradually introduce the alternative feed.

Help!

[ballingall]

What did they feed at the old home? Did you mention cubes?

I would try and get something similar to what they had before, even if you only get a couple of bags to get them started on.


They might have just been tired out from the travelling, and not interested at that time. They had a drink which is good- I would have left them with just water and hay initially and let them settle for bit before offeriung hard food.


Beth

[little blue]

goats can take a while for their digestion system to settle into a change of feed - I must say I'm surprised that the previous owners didnt take this into account, even if they had charged you for the food ?!

  I agree completely with Beth, hay & time ... 

[Beewyched]

Oh for Pete's sake!

...  It doesn't help that the home they have come from wouldn't let me take any of their current food with them so that I could gradually introduce the alternative feed.

Help!

I would have thought that breeders would have given you enough for a few days to help them settle-in 

[McRennet]

Ok, time for an update.

They still have not gone for any of their feed but just seem to be loving this hay, and I mean loving it! I have spoken to the company that manufactures their original feed and although they actually make it by the tonne specifically for the farm that they were on they are going to sell me two bags just so that I can be giving them a) something that I know they eat and b) start introducing them to something new!
organised
Beewyched I know where you're coming from on this, that is exactly what I was hoping to do. I even took down a big empty feed bag so that I could bring a load back with me but unfortunately there was a whole load of confusion and rush on the day that I collected them and it was not to be. She isn't a breeder as such but a dairy farm and the girls were given to me by way of payment for my hard work! Which I was absolutely chuffed to bits about as I fell in love them whilst I was working there. However I would have liked to have been more but these things never happen how you envisage them to!

I just hope they started eating soon, it's more that they are in kid that concerns me. Well, that they are in kid and not eating. I suppose I should view the fact that they are chomping on the hay as a positive though. And I have to say I am almost tempted to eat this hay, it has to be the most beautiful hay I have ever seen! They make it on the farm and it is immaculate. Full of a variety of grass and wild herbs (all of which I have double checked are suitable to goats) and as yet I have not seen any dust from it. All of the above = goats with their heads buried in it!

[ballingall]

Glad they are eating hay, but as you say it is the fact that they are pregnant that is the worry. When are they due? Its only the last 6-8 weeks they really need the extra protein, so if they still have a while to go it shouldn't be too bad.

Glad you will be getting some of their original food. You could try getting some soya been meal- it is very high in protein, so even if they only eat a tiny amount it will keep up their protein levels.


Beth

[wytsend]

For some strange reason, a lot of animals won't eat D & H feed.

My horses won't touch it... and that in particular goes for one who would eat a house brick if you said it was food !!!

Tries my goat on it with the same reaction.

As your girls were on dairy unit, it is likely they were fed cattle nuts/cubes.  In fact cattle feed is better for goats anyway as it contains the right amount of copper.  Copper is vital to certain ruminants for cell structure , liver function etc and goats certainly fall into this category.

Cattle food is very cheap by comparison with D & H feed.   Expensive is not always the best.!!!!!

[McRennet]

I'm starting to feel like they will never eat!

Thanks, Ballingall and Wytsend all of this is so helpful. In terms of kidding I have been told that they are due to kid end of april beginning of May, but Gordon George who transported them and also the Farmer onsite here who has many many years of lambing experience, they both reckon that Tweedle Dee, the slightly larger and chocolate coloured one will kid earlier than that.

I think I'm just going to buy some cattle nuts that are as near as possible to the original feed to see if that will work. Although I am getting some of the original feed, because it is made especially for the previous own they aren't doing another lot until Tuesday and then I have to go collect it from somerset. The things we do for our animals! Totally and 100% worth it though, I just want to see them eat, even if they only eat one nut!

They really do not to know about the D&H or the afalfa, I've tried them together, I've tried them separate. But it doesn't seem to make a difference. First thing monday morning (my local place isn't open on a sat afternoon or a sunday) I will go get the Cattle nuts. Thinking aloud I might try the next nearest if it is open on a sunday, the sooner I get some into them the better, we're now on day 3 of no concentrate!
I'm just about to pop down to see them now. Can't wait to see them both.

Oh also I took veg peelings down to them and they didn't want those either, is there a particular fruit or veg that is more palatable than others?

[wytsend]

If they are not used to fruit & Veg, they won't touch it.

They will eat cattle nuts.... be sure to get dairy nuts only,  not beef nuts.

[jaykay]

Good luck with getting them to eat - hope they like the cattle nuts, though it's good they love their hay too.
Mine will eat ivy (small quantities only though, too much is poisonous), cauliflower leaves, sultanas, chicken layers pellets, chocolate digestives.... And they like Smallholders dairy goat mix.

[McRennet]

I can't believe how perfect the timing of your pot was Jaykay! The girls have got a small paddock that I am turning them out in for a few hours each day, it's so lovely to se them running around! It works well as it would have originally been the garden wall for the old farmhouse. It have been used as a paddock for many years but due to it having a solid brick wall around it they can't escape.... except for one small area which has a bit of a hole. the job this weekend is to patch it up!
There is however, some ivy growing on one part of the wall, and they seem to love it. I quickly got them off it until I could work out whether it is poisonous to them or not. Google was not my friend in my search so to come on here and see you had mentioned it was uncanny! They really seem to like it as they went straight for it again today even though I put in copious amounts of this lovely hay for them. Why do they go for it when they are so good at avoiding the stuff that's bad for them?
I think I shall have to fence that bit off when we do the wall....

the smallholder feed, is that the allen and page one?