[langdon]

does anyone change their goats feed at these different times of the  year?
thanks for any replys langdon

[Roxy]

The goodness will be going out of the grass before too long, and with the dry weather, its not growing as good, so I do increase the feeds accordingly then.  Come Autumn they will have more in their buckets, and then I pretty much keep it at the same amount through the winter.
The castrated boys, and the ones not milking, really only have a token feed.  But one thing they all have, is plenty of hay.  I am a great believer in giving them as much hay as they want, all year round.  Important during the summer, as it can prevent bloat if fed before they go outdoors.

[ballingall]

We change what we feed , but remember we always tend to have quite a few goats to kid each year.

The heavy milkers who are milking now, will start to get smaller rations in September/October to encourage them to dry off if they are going to be put in kid. They continue on smaller rations until they are about 2/3 through the pregancy (at 16 weeks pregnant we start to increase food again). If we are running any milkers through, their rations stay much the same throughout the winter, but when it is very cold we increase their ration of barley and peas to help keep them warm!

The males and youngstock (ie this year's kids who will a year old next year) get quite a basic ration. When the goats that are pregnant get picky and leave some of their food, it is recycled by feeding it to the youngstock, as long as it is not dirty.

Once we get into November and our goats are not going out, this is when we rest our field for 6-8 weeks, they get extra feeds a day. They always get extra hay at lunch time, and then an extra feed at 5-6pm. The extra feed usually rotates between soaked beetpulp, alfalfa and chopped veg (cabbage, carrots and apples mostly). So from Mid-November until they all kid (usually March- early April) they get 3 feeds of food a day, plus they get hay morning and night topped up if needed, and always fresh hay at lunchtime.

The males do not always get the extra feed, especially beetpulp which we never feed to them as it can help cause kidney stones. But they will get any leftover veg, and alflafa.

Spring it all changes when they kid, once a goat has kidded, we don't give it concentrates (mix) for at least 3 days afterwards, they get alflafa, veg, bread, barley, peas etc instead. then we gradually introduce back in the protein again. We slowly increase their rations, not giving them full rations until they have been kidded for 6 weeks. 6 weeks after kidding is when their milk production should peak, and you will have to feed according to their condition and the amount of milk they are producing.

That may be a longer answer than you bargained for Langdon!!!

Beth

[Roxy]

When the vet came to Abel the goat the other week, we were discussing ways of putting weight on older goats, such as Abel.  The vet said give them plenty of soaked sugar beet, as much as they will eat.  They do like it, but I have never given them a lot, and certainly not to the intact males.  The vet said yes, it was possible for them to get kidney stones, but highly unlkely and it was fine to give the billies sugar beet.

[langdon]

thanks beth for that amazing answer!!!!!!!!!!!!
should i keep the girls in over winter too?
is this a general practice come winter time?
shall i keep the girls on same feed untill they come into kid?
thanks for any answers given
langdon
p.s. do they need worming before going in for winter, or any time during their staying in? sorry!

[Anke]

Langdon, my goats go out whenever it is not raining, although in the winter in snow I tend to take them on a walk rather than just let them stay in the field and moan at the snow. Otherwise up to two hours outside, but find that can get up to a week easily when they have to stay in (rain in Nov last year was very bad).

I give morning feed to milking goats (about 300g mix for the BT, a bit less for GG), lunchtime half concentrate and half sokaed sugarbeet plus any veg/fruit thats kicking about, dinner same again, then supper is a huge load of branches for everyone. Hay at all times, plus they have a clover field. Dry some nettles too, but not always in the mood for collecting them... Goatlings get only tiny amounts at feeding time, they only have hay and clover, plus veg/fruit. Include some Alfa A for milking nannies sometimes, but find it makes their stools a bit looser, probably too much protein. In the winter sugarbeet is fed warm.

Kids get 4 x scoop of concentrate (three together in the one pen) during the day, plus branches and veg/fruit.

[jameslindsay]

If I was to keep my 12 goats locked up for any length of time there would be a riot. The 6 Pygmys get locked up at night although not during the summer but they are in their own safe enclosure for nights . The 6 big goats are never locked up. They will stay in doors if it is wet or they just want to go in for a sleep at any time. They have access to hay 24/7 and are fed morning and night, although during this hot spell I have just fed them once a day. They have free access to over 4 acres and have the perfect life, I hope they know it!

[Roxy]

Cain and Abel have an open fronted field shelter, and come and go as they please.  If it rains, they can go in, but quite often will stay out if its not torrential.  They do not like to be penned in.  The others all come in at night, just so I know where they area.  They go out during the day in winter, so long as its not terrible weather.  The only problem is, if it gets muddy, the ground gets churned up, and sometimes keeping them in, is better in cases like this.  Also gives you land the chance to rest and re grow too!!

[Cinderhills]

I feed the same food just smaller quantities in the summer.  Definitely as mentioned before all the hay they want.  I was told that they must always have hay at all times.  I keep the stable open at night in the summer but when it gets cold I shut them up at night.  They don't tend to go out at night anyway.  In the winter our old rescue goat George has a fleece coat.  He's getting quite frail now and not as much meat on him as before.