What to Feed My Goat
The importance of fresh hay, loose mineral, and properly rationed grain
MINERAL: This is one of the most important things you need
to have free choice at all times for your goat. It must be a loose
mineral not a block. It must contain the proper calcium:phosphorus
ratio of 2:1, and it must be for goats NOT goats & sheep because
there will not be enough copper in mineral designed for sheep.
We personally use CrystalCreek 2:1 organic loose mineral for Ruminants.
HAY: When we are able, we prefer to use an alfafa mix grass hay. When you are
looking to purchase hay one good thing to remember is to let the
seller know you need "horse hay". This will be a higher
quality hay. You want hay that is green and not yellow or brown. You
will also need to make sure that it is not moldy. A good way to check
that is to drop the bale. If a bunch of "dust" comes out
then that is likely mold. Also you can sometimes see black spots on
the hay. If you smell it you will be able to smell the mold verses
the grassy smell of hay. I never get hay that has been stored on the
ground, only the hay that is stacked above ground. Also, it is best
if it is stored inside. If it is outside and covered it is much more
likely to contain mold because the plastic covers hold in moisture.
Moldy hay can cause listeriosis in goats. That is a very serious
illness that can kill your goat and it is zoonotic (meaning it can
transfer to people). Hay must be available free choice at all times
unless they are on adequate pasture. We have hay available at all
times. Some further reading on the dangers of moldy hay can be
found here and here.
GRAIN/ALFALFA: We use a 14% soy-free non-GMO grains and organic alfalfa pellets.
When purchasing grain for your animals, make sure the calcium:
phosphorus is 4:1-2:1. Most dairy goat feeds will contain this ratio.
We feed all our goats grain. Amounts vary depending on age, sex, if
they are in milk, pregnant, weather, etc. We grain our goats 1-2
times a day depending on the time of year and sex of the animal.
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