# Feeding Whole Grains



## Sydney (Oct 31, 2013)

Hey everyone, I am trying to switch the majority of my herd over to all whole grains instead of pelleted goat feeds, as I feel they will be much healthier. Plus they don't even like pelleted feeds. 

I am wondering if any of you have a cost effective mix (<$17/50lbs) that is good for milkers, show goats, and growing kids. We have access to LOTS of oats and barley, but neither of those have high protein. I don't feed BOSS as it is expensive so I put 2 teaspoons of sunflower oil over their grain instead. Each teaspoon has 14 grams of fat. They get free choice alfalfa but I am thinking about switching them over to all alfalfa pellets because they waist so much!!!! (I would give them a little grass hay to make sure they have enough roughage in the winter) I can also get beet pulp, but it's in pellet form and not shreds, and the goats don't really like the pellets unless I soak them. Which I could do, just kinda nice to not have to  

Thanks everyone


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

Everybody here gets oats. If I need weight gain, I add a little bit if cracked corn. Our protein needs are met by alfalfa and clover. With high protein hay, there is no need for high protein grain. If my hay isn't up to snuff or I'm stretching it, I use alfalfa pellets. The only time I have a slight issue is with kids that may be off milk and aren't eating enough alfalfa. But it is only a matter of monitoring and making sure they are getting enough.


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## LittleBits (Aug 6, 2013)

What percent protein are you looking for, and what feeds are you going to be using? And what is the price for each feed per 50lbs? For milkers, kids, pregnant does etc, I feed an 18% protein mix.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Like Angie, most of my goats' protein needs come from their hay (and alfalfa pellets). I have been feeding alfalfa pellets and whole oats for years and have healthy goats with good condition and production. So alfalfa, grass hay and oats and loose minerals is the extent of their diet. Simple, inexpensive and effective. Rarely, a goat might need some beet pulp if they get thin, like a buck in rut or a doe that is putting out tons of milk.


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## Sydney (Oct 31, 2013)

Interesting. Oats here are about $12 for 50lb, and barley for $10. 

If oats is all they need along with alfalfa, maybe I will just try that for a while. Our alfalfa is OK. I also have a couple Boers that I show, so I am not sure oats would cut it for them.


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

My understanding with Boers is they are usually grained more cause they don't want large rumens built up? We want those rumens large to convert roughage into milk on dairy does, so we focus on roughage.


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

I, too, feed mainly alfalfa and oats (and free choice browse/grass hay). Sometimes I add a fat source, sometimes I don't. They honestly seem to stay nice and shiney etc with or without the added fat.


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## Sydney (Oct 31, 2013)

How much oats do you give everyone?


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

Usually 1-2 lbs per doe per day split into two feedings.


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## Sydney (Oct 31, 2013)

Ashley said:


> Usually 1-2 lbs per doe per day split into two feedings.


How much would you feed for Nigerians? 1 lb?


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

For oats and other grains, you can start with about a cup in the morning and a cup in the evening, then increase as needed to maintain good body condition. With nigerians I would imagine the biggest challenge will be keeping them from getting too fat rather than keeping weight on. Usually, in most goat operations, roughage like browse and hay are given free choice, then grain is given to balance out the nutrients in the browse/hay/alfalfa. The amount of grain is determined by body condition. With some goats, you even need to limit alfalfa to keep them from getting too fat.


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## Sydney (Oct 31, 2013)

Alright. I have two Nigerians who are a bit on the thin side. Hopefully the sunflower oil will help that. Currently for the past 2-3 weeks I have been feeding them 2 cups of oats, a handful of COB, and 1 cup of Animax plus the oil. Haven't seen much of a difference.


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

Animax?

2-3 weeks isn't very long 

And I assume you've made sure parasites are not an issue?


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## Sydney (Oct 31, 2013)

Animax is like Calf Manna, but quite a bit cheaper.

Parasites shouldn't be an issue, they were all wormed about 2 weeks ago (I think?) with Noromectin orally, 1 cc per 20 lbs.


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## Secondairy (Aug 12, 2008)

I feed a custom milled whole grain feed. I will have to get the exact portion when I go pick up my free choice yeast, and can post the formula here later. It contains the following though:

Whole Corn
Whole Roasted Soybeans
Whole Oats
Rolled Barley
Cargill Right Now Onyx Mineral
Diamond V Yeast
Kelp Meal
Soduim Bicarb
Granulated Garlic
Just enough wet Molasses to bind
NO GRINDING, just mixed

I just picked up my order of 500lbs, and the total was $149.90. So that is under $15 for 50lbs. MUCH better that what I can buy at TSC or even the local feed mill. I do drive 50 miles one way to NJ to pick it up though, and pay $1 to cross the toll bridge home. I have lots of family in NJ, so I normally stop and visit them at the same time - so I do'nt add that to my total feed cost.

Now, I also use Spelt to cut this feed. I feed the grain only on the milkstand, but cut the dessert dishes with spelt, and the buck eats the same feed also cut with spelt. It gets cut about 50/50, so the bucks food is about half of the protien that the does are getting on the stand, and higher in fiber as the spelt is right out of the gravity wagon with the fiberous hulls still attached. I need to figgure something out soon, as I bought 300lbs of the spelt when I bought the goats, and when I run out, I am out. I cannot locate spelt in this immediate area, but posted an ad on CL to find a grower. I got in touch with a very nice gentleman who said that spelt is similar to Emmer, and it would be a 2 hour drive on way, but he has both, and might be able to point me in the right direction. I am doing this because it has worked for my breeder's herd for the last 30 years, and I am not about to change something that 'aint broke'. Spelt is a primitive wheat that has a much higher nutrition profile on a much lower protein berry. My breeder has NEVER had an issue with UC, and the bucks have been fed this ration for years. They get as much free choice Alfalfa pellets as they can eat, as well as soft orchard grass hay for long form fiber and to stave off boredom.

Hope that helps 
Kelly


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

Sydney I would still do a fecal a see what parasites your goats may have. Not all de-wormers work on all worms. I live in South Eastern WA, and still fecal 
Tam


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## Sydney (Oct 31, 2013)

I have sent a fecal in before, but for one goat. Should I just get some pellets off the ground?


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Better to catch some fresh berries.


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## Sydney (Oct 31, 2013)

From any goat? Mix of them? Sorry for the questions.


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## Secondairy (Aug 12, 2008)

When I do fecals, I collect from each animal, and place them in a zip style sandwich baggie. I like to collect them before they hit the ground, but sometimes you cant manage that, and picking them up immediately is OK. I write the goats information on the baggie in permanant black sharpie: Their call name, and tattoo numbers, as well as their collar color just incase I am away from the farm when the results come in and someone else needs to do the medications. I try to get as many berries in the bag as possible from each goat, at least a solid 1/4 cup.

If money is tight, you can do a pooled sample from animals living in the same pens, and then treat them all as they are most likely cross contaminating eachother.

Kelly


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

Noromectin is just Ivermectin. Not terribly effective for much in many herds.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

You don't need a 1/4 cup of poop for a fecal sample, fyi. A few berries is plenty; most places only need like a gram or two.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Yeah, what Kelly said.


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## EmyAcres (Jul 3, 2013)

:yeahthat!!!


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## EmyAcres (Jul 3, 2013)

What Nancy said that is!


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## Secondairy (Aug 12, 2008)

I know I don't NEED that many, but I like to have extras just in case there is a poop accident on route...Dont ask! LOL!


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

LOL! There has got to be an interesting story.


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## Secondairy (Aug 12, 2008)

Oh - I am now picking up my yeast on Saturday before my family reunion, so I will grab a copy of my feed mix with exact measurements and weights to make 500lbs then. I just realized that people might be waiting to hear the details 

My mentor is VERY insistent that I only fed a whole grain feed. When she started with goats, she was married to a dairy cow farmer, and he was having her use his cow ration, which was ground. She had problems with weight, condition, and intermittent bouts of complete liquid diarrhea, and poop that was always soft - even though the mix was still the same. HER mentor insisted on a whole grain diet - no grinding, no FEED TYPE pellets. Just like everything else with goats, they metabolize so quickly, and are efficient fermentation vats. Whatever goes into them comes out very quickly, and in a much more broken down form.

Ground feed/Pellet in = Diarrhea out. Whole Grain in=tight berries out.


Right now, I am going to wander over to the health and wellness area, as I need to deworm the herd, but I know that two of them have had successful breedings and may be settled. I am worried because I am seeing some signs of anemia, and since I just got the goats, they have not been on a very good deworming schedule. I need to do my research, and see what I should give them that is pregnancy safe and still effective. I WANT to wait til they are 100 days bred, but I am concerned about the condition of the oldest girl, and would rather risk the pregnancy than lose her, but at the same time, if she did settle and I lose the pregnancy, I do not know if she will cycle again for me this season.

Kelly


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

My vet had me give cydectin to everyone pregnant, dry, babies, and at a dose double what is recommend here. No problems. I believe it to be pretty safe - safer than worms for sure.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Sydney, if you can get barley at $10/50 lbs, why not mix some barley in with those oats?


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