# Feeding Milkers



## carlidoe (Jul 30, 2010)

How/what do all of you feed your ladies? Thanks! 
Carli


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## MiaBella Farm (Jul 22, 2008)

This is a sensitive subject. You will get lots of responses, then you need to decide what works for you. 

Here is what works for US:

We feed LaQuesta Dairy Goat pellets on the milk stand and alfalfa pellets after they are milked and put back in their stalls. We feed each doe her milk stand grain based on what she is producing...the more they produce the more food they get...we are not wasting feed on those who do not put the milk in the pail. In my experience (which is limited) if you feed a doe who is a low milk producer a lot of feed she will just get fat, not produce more milk.

LaQuesta is a product of West Feeds developed by several goat breeders here in Texas, and if you would like more information PM me.

In addition, our goats brows a lot! They are out in the pasture on and off during the day. We provide grass hay and alfalfa hay in the winter as well as free choice minerals year round (Techmaster). Our barn is equipped with automatic waterers so they never run out.


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## prairie nights (Jan 16, 2009)

Carli, 

first of all - good quality alfalfa. Free choice if you can afford it. We fed alfalfa hay for a while since I thought that was best for them (and it would be if it kept the same quality while stored) but our hay looks nasty weeks after it is delivered from the supplier, I was seeing a lot of bacterial issues in the girls, plus I never did know if the alfalfa was meeting the girls nutritional requirements. If I stored
plenty of the same, it did not keep well, if I only bought a few bales at a time then I was constantly switching feed on them and the nutritional levels. We switched to 17% alfalfa pellets and the girls look better than ever. I keep wanting to take pictures from last year and this year and post them here, 5 months into lactation for some I don't have weight issues I had last year (look up my old posts 

On the milk stand I feel whole grains only. Oats, barley, corn, BOSS, beet pulp when needed (didn't need it this year - all milkers are looking great on 17% pellets). I don't like by products in my feed because I don't know what they are or whether they are the same every time. I also don't like feeding molasses just like my kids don't get sweet cereal (not often anyhow . I understand some molasses is needed to keep the products in pelleted form, but there are grain based feeds out there with molasses poured over them, hmmm, the only reason has to be the stuff tastes so awful the goats would not eat it without the sugar cover up. Many manufacturers will even admit the molasses is added for paletability (sp?) 

The grain is really only supplying the energy they use to make milk. Not the base of their diet, the calcium (alfalfa) and the roughage is. 

In addition we offer hay free choice, lose mineral and plenty of fresh water, of course.


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## mill-valley (Feb 22, 2008)

I agree with Michelle....there are as many ways to feed as goat breeders out there.

What works for me: free choice grain on the milkstand, I use Purina Noble Goat Dairy Parlor. I have heavy milking/ hard to keep weight on does and this is the first feed I've used that I haven't had milking skeletons for yearlings. Free choice minerals (right now onyx by cargill) and baking soda and water of course. Hay...I do my best to get them alfalfa, they certainly do better on it. Usually ends up being a mix.


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## mamatomany (Aug 7, 2008)

This subject is always fun  I feed race horse oats, boss, cracked corn, and beet pulp. They get kelp with their right now onyx mineral. Lots of alfalfa hay and fresh water. It works for us. I believe that hay is most important, that is where you invest your money into. Feed is secondary to an excellent quality hay.


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## Poverty Knob Goats (Apr 13, 2010)

We feed home raised oats, rolled corn, and alfalfa pellets. Free choice praire hay (Alfalfa when I can get it). Also Xtra formance minerals free choice. Not a fancy ration but it works for us.


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## carlidoe (Jul 30, 2010)

I feed really good quality alfalfa hay. I was feeding purina noble goat pellets, boss, cracked corn. I decided to switch to sweet feed because I hated how dusty the dry feed mixture was. My milker sneezed constantly on the milk stand. 

It is so ironic that I just read how bad sweet feed is for goats, since I bought 100 lbs of it yesterday ;/. I mixed boss and cracked corn in with it. I swear, I do everything wrong the first time around! 

Today I bought a 50lb bag of oats that I am going to mix into my barrel of sweet feed, along with around 25lbs of noble goat pellets. Maybe this will be ok until I figure out what the heck I'm doing?! We shall see.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Carli: Which Noble Goat pellets are you feeding? Some are medicated and I don't think should be fed to milkers.

Beth: How is that Noble Goat Dairy feed working for you? Since I can get the medicated meat pellets for the kids, I'm sure I can get someone to get me that. It makes no sense for me to formulate or mix my own feed at this time as I only have one milker and hopefully two next year. I need a commercial dairy ration, but the only one readily available to me is Purina Goat Chow. How does the Noble Goat Dairy feed compare to the Goat Chow? 

I love this topic. Always gives food for thought - LOL - pun intended.


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

If your does are anything like mine, feeding a sweet feed, like an all stock or something like it will cause their milk production to plummet. I am assuming it is due to a lower protein and quality level. We tried it for the first time this year when trying to put together a ration that I could afford to feed on my lower income. I might as well have not been feeding any grain at all. I could have easily dried them up, that's how low their production was. 

I did end up with does with more weight on them though! I really don't know how that happened. They all gained significant weight. Maybe because they were milking so poorly. Now they are milking AND look good. So, I'm happy.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

So Anita, what were you doing before? What "sweet feed" were you using? What did you go back to?


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## carlidoe (Jul 30, 2010)

I'm feeding Dumoor Goat 16% sweet feed. Havent seen a drop in production yet, but I will watch out for that. All stock and horse sweet feeds range from 9-14%. Maybe this one, since it is 16%, will keep her milk production up.


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## mill-valley (Feb 22, 2008)

Cindy...I really like this feed. First of all the convenience of buying bag by bag, premixed and ready to go for less than I was paying for a custom mix that molded before I could use 500 lbs. Second...the fact that it's pelleted and they can't sort through it. Third....they are milking very well on it and holding weight at the same time. My yearlings peaked at 8-10 lbs/day and my 4 yr old at 16. Actually had one yearling get a little plump on me...hasn't happened in the seven years I've had goats! No other management changes in the last year or so either.


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## Holly Govero (Mar 26, 2009)

Everyone have a different feed what it works for them. I can tell you what it works for me. Its fun..

I only feed my girls is oats, boss. (no corn or molasses or anything added) I feed them that twice a day and i feed them alfalfa hay all the time and it is there 24 hours and 7 days anyways. I do give the girls alfalfa pellets once a day at lunch time. I do leave it out as for my mineral that I mixed is kelp, diamond v yeast and right now onyx. It works out for us really well. Better than I ever tried over the years. I am gonna stick with that. But I do buy goat noble feed for the babies.. I do have beet pulp and barley. I only use those if the girls looks like lil skinny from being milking soo much or just had a baby. But I dont use it much and it is like make me feel better to know that it is making them filling up (not too often)


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## Ziggy (Nov 13, 2009)

Mine get Alfalfa hay free choice 24 x 7 (there is always hay in the feeder). I used to feed Blue Seal Dairy Pellets on the stand and really liked them but have had issues with availability (the local dealer was often out of stock and I dont like changing feeds constantly) around here so switched to Purina Goat Chow when TSC started carrying it last year.

Recently I found a source for some cheaper 12% sweet feed that many goat people around here use (and I am talking people who do well at shows) so I have switched to that. I know some may criticize given the recent posting about sweet feed issues but they get very little - just enough to keep them interested in going to the milking stand. We also mix oats and sunflower seeds into it too.

The key thing that I have done when I switched was the new feed was that I also switched to providing free choice Alflalfa pellets in addition to the hay and I occasional top dress the Alfalfa pellet buckets with a little Citrus or Beet pulp which they really like. They really dont eat to much of the sweet feed as they are usually full when they come to the stand for milking.

Despite the heat wave of the last couple of months all of my goats are looking great - I am attributing it to the free choice alfalfa pellets in addition to the free choice alfalfa hay.

Oh - and of course they also have free choice access to minerals in a mineral feeder from Sydell.


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## carlidoe (Jul 30, 2010)

Ok, that makes me feel a little better about feeding the sweet feed. I am feeding her very little of it as well...mixing it with a lot of oats and boss. Just like you, I am trying to keep her interested in the stand. She is the worst about sorting through feed, she hasn't done this since I switched to the sweet mix. 

Do you buy your alfalfa pellets at TSC? All I was able to find there were the alfalfa cubes. I would like to try some of the pellets.

I have never tried beet pulp. Is it good for them?


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## Ziggy (Nov 13, 2009)

I used to buy my Alfalfa pellets at a feed mill but since TSC started carrying the Standlee pellets I get mine at TSC - those Standlee pellets are the best I've found next to CBI. Very little dust and pure alfalfa - no additives. Also although I generally hate plastic packaging I like it on the Standlee pellets as I don't have to worry about them getting damp/moldy.

As far as beet pulp - yes its good for putting weight on. I'll let others comment on the pros and cons. Some people have issues since a lot of beets are GMO.

Again - I dont feed a lot of beet pulp. Everyone in a while I'll just throw in 10 pounds or so over the alfalfa pellets as a treat/change of scenery for them. Same thing with the citrus pulp.


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## Squires (Jul 23, 2010)

Ziggy said:


> I used to buy my Alfalfa pellets at a feed mill but since TSC started carrying the Standlee pellets I get mine at TSC - those Standlee pellets are the best I've found next to CBI. Very little dust and pure alfalfa - no additives. Also although I generally hate plastic packaging I like it on the Standlee pellets as I don't have to worry about them getting damp/moldy.
> 
> As far as beet pulp - yes its good for putting weight on.


I have questions about hay, alfalfa pellets and protein supplements. :help

The cow-dairy farmer I buy hay from sold me some very nice grass hay, but he doesn't think much of it - - only 12% protein which is not enough to support lactation in a cow (the minimal standard for dairy cow hay here is that it could, technically, keep a cow in some milk by itself -- and then you add a rich feed mix on top of that). Can I use this to build a dairy ration for goats, or depend on alfalfa pellets or something else?

BTW, I pre-order my hay before he has even cut it - get dairy cow quality (a richer mix) for winter and some silaged-hay in bales. Right now am getting smaller 600 lb bales of about 12% protein for $25 each; thewinter bales at about 16% protein will be 800 lbs for $30 each (that is the pre-ordered price -- if you buy it in winter it is more than twice that price IF you can find it).

I got some sort of TSC generic alfalfa pellet the other day -- today they were all gone. Only 14% protein and dusty -- shouldn't alfalfa pellets have a higher protein content? I went back just to read labels and shop around -- they were all out of alfalfa pellets, but did have Standlee beet pulp! I guess that means I could ASK them to special-order a quality alfalfa pellet from Standlee -- if so, what percentage protein should I ask for?

Because of colder weather here (upstate NY, although ameliorated by being near the Great Lakes, we do have some fierce winter storms!) for dairy sheep I use whole corn because it keeps more vitamins E and A inside the kernel than cracked corn. Most grains are more wholesome if less processed. Corn and hay keep the rumen fermenting away, and that gives off heat for them to keep warm. For protein, have been using soybean meal. I can get soybean meal for about $17 per 100 lbs and corn for $8 per 100 lbs if I go to the old-fashioned feed mill. We can get locally grown oats, and sometimes wheat (not sure of prices yet), but not barley. Sheep get sheep-minerals

For the dairy goats, Calf Manna is on sale for $20 per 50 lb bag right now. There is Noble Goat feed in the TSC, but it is not marked "dairy." I think it is about $17 or more for 50 lbs. With what I can get wholesale, is there any point in using it?

Somebody locally got a huge load of meat-goat pellets -- more than they can use -- and it is on sale for about $10 per 50 lbs -- is that a good price? I'm not absolutely sure on the price, but it sounded good. Not as good as whole grains, though.

In theory the TSC store could order the "Onyx" mineral for cattle, because they do carry Nutrena feeds occasionally. It would be a special order, and I would first have to explain to them what it is. In theory they can order anything -- question is how long it takes for the truck delivery to get here.

Calf Manna begins to look good. The buckling got into it in the barn and has a very poopy butt but is otherwise OK. I'm feeling very lucky. He's going for meat in another week.

Just wondering if any old-timers have thoughts on balancing a goat dairy ration from what I have mentioned here.
:thankyou
Oh! the copper boluses arrived in the mail today! I feel VERY lucky! Step by step, things are getting better.

Chris


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## prairie nights (Jan 16, 2009)

Chris, 

not an old timer and I can't put together your nutritional program but here are a few thoughts:

Grass hay is roughage and we offer it free choice in the winter but it should not be the base for your goat's diet. They need calcium in some form, most of us use alfalfa. Goats are not grazers like horses or sheep, they are browsers much like deer. That is why even the most quality grass pasture just doesn't cut it. 

Meat goat pellets are usually made from by products (first item listed on the ingredient list) and go for about $8 per 50lbs here, so to me not a deal for $10 a bag. Always look at ingredients and labels to see if that's what you want to feed and drink in your milk. 

Last year we were top dressing with calf manna, with beet pulp and with soybean meal and still the heavy milkers could not keep condition on. This year I am feeding free choice 17% alfalfa pellets, have no problems with weight even on 2 gallon a day milker, actually my production keeps going up at 5 months fresh in many of the does. Supplying the protein in the roughage that makes up for majority of their diet was the key for me, instead of trying to make up for it in grain or having to feed more grain, extra supplements , etc. I am considering just feeding oats and BOSS in addition to the pellets next year for milk stand grain. 

With that said, they did not do well at all on 14% pellets . 

I hope this helps some, 

Jana


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## Bella Star (Oct 27, 2007)

I feed what good quality feed that I can find and it does change because of the feed store. For this heat ,I dont feed molasses and only feed 4 types of feed mixed up in a electric cement mixer .. Some of the feeds get bugs quickly here in the heat so I dont buy over 2 bags of the same type at a time so I am right now feeding crimped oats , a good mixed granary blend goat feed with yeast,BOSS and alfalfa pellet ,I have lots of brouse for my lazy herd :sigh But the only ones that get the feed above are my milk does ,4 smaller kids and anyone that looks skinny. Alfalfa pellets is always fed to my milkers but the other grain changes like 2T of sunflower oil top dressed or mixed with the feed instead of BOSS because of bugs in the heat .


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## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

Right now, they are getting alfalfa/grass mixed hay.
Their milk stand grain consists of a pre-bagged grain. 16% protein made from Hunter's. We will be switching back to our old mix for next year though. We only switched because we were using enough to make it a hassle to mix by hand, but not enough to have the elevator mix it. But now we are using enough to get 500lbs.  I know most don't agree w/ my old mix but its what works for my herd so that's what I am going to do. It's Corn, Oats, and Provider 38. And I'll be able to control how much molasses is used {NONE}. With the Hunter's, I dont know if they recently added more or what but it seems like there's much more molasses in it then there uses to be. 

Of course, all the goats have baking soda and mineral {Started Right Now Onyx back in Jan. VERY pleased w/ it so far!} free choice! Another thing that not everyone agrees on {baking soda} but I started feeding it free choice and since I am having to refill the mineral all the time, I'd say having the BS out there isn't hurting anything. Sometimes goats will take the BS over the mineral but not mine!


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## carlidoe (Jul 30, 2010)

My milker started sorting through her sweetfeed. I finally figured out that she was trying to pick out all the oats and boss, and leaving the pellets behind :/. Yesterday at both milkings I fed her only oats mixed with boss and she finished her feed. That's what I'm going to stick with for now.

I need to talk to the folks at TSC and see if they can order 17% alfalfa pellets. I'm curious to see if my girls like them.


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## MiaBella Farm (Jul 22, 2008)

Let us know how your milk production goes on just Oats and Boss. This will be an interesting test.

Please note that I am not trying to be sarcastic here, just curious how this works out for you.


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## carlidoe (Jul 30, 2010)

Her milk production is actually up a little. I'm not sure if it is because of the whole grain, or because she is finally eating all of her feed. She looks like she might be putting on a little more weight, too.

Did your goats not do well on oats?


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## Ziggy (Nov 13, 2009)

We feed straight oats when starting to dry off does..


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## MiaBella Farm (Jul 22, 2008)

We don't feed oats so I don't know how they would do. That is why I am interested in how your girls are doing, we are both in Texas so trying to compare production with someone out of state on the same feed does not help.

We were told by our feed store owner that oats were empty calories and that corn is candy...


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## Sharpgoat (Feb 7, 2008)

They might as well be in another state they are north west of Wichita Falls.
Fran


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## MiaBella Farm (Jul 22, 2008)

If I had more time, I would just do this myself...feed some of my girls Oats & Boss and feed the others my current feed...then make notes of the outcome.

THE PROBLEM is that no two goats are the same...even the 2 goats that I have (same dam & sire but a year apart) are totally different animals! 

But, I guess if raising goats was too easy then everyone would be doing it :biggrin


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## prairie nights (Jan 16, 2009)

I am not that far from Carli, we feed oats, BOSS and barley at this point, cut the corn out completely in this heat and they are doing great. My milk production keeps going up, and these are does 30 days bred, still milking twice a day at full speed. I'd actually like for them to slow down some. At the same time I don't think they milk like this because of the grain. Last year with the same mixture we were down to once a day milking and winding down in production. I was also adding beet pulp and calf manna. What I am doing differently is the 17% alfalfa pellets. Last year they had browse, this year browse is limited because we are fencing it off. I wonder if I can dig up last year and this year's pictures of the same goat, a world of a difference. All the milkers are doing wonderfully on this by the way. They are not all the same producers or have the same body frame but all are in what I call optimal condition going into breeding season. Last year I had to wait until dry period to do "something" about their weight or lack of it. 

I had a 2 gallon producer at 130lbs, this year she is 160lbs. She is over 5 so done maturing. She came here in excellent shape and went down on my wonderful grain mix (the grain was really the best I could come up with) and alfalfa hay of unknown nutritional value and in the winter of very obvious poor quality. So I am positive it's not the grain that did it. But since we are replacing the energy they use making milk , why not replace it with something wholesome instead of sugar mixed with by products in order not to compromise their rumen down the road. My grain is only 10% of what the girls eat, I am trying to build the nutritional supply around the other 90%.


Michelle, I know what you mean - but I am yet to run into a feed store owner that is knowledgable about managing dairy goats. Corn is a source of protein, not just candy, oats are fiber if not anything else. 

Lee is burried up to her arms in her clay, just when we need her here 

Jana


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## Ziggy (Nov 13, 2009)

So you think the difference is the 17% protein Alfalfa pellets? 

That is what the Standlee pellets that I have been feeding are rated at and I have been very happy with body condition and milk production since feeding them free choice along with free choice alfalfa hay..


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## prairie nights (Jan 16, 2009)

Ziggy, 

I really do. I had problems last year and this year (2 adult senior does with bacterial runs shortly after kidding, slow labors, etc) and I finally ended up tracing them to nutritional stress. Considering goats need 16-17% protein , we all try to feed 16% grain ration but what about the rest of the diet? It's like trying to provide my children's calcium in ice cream they get once a week. 

I switched them in late spring to the pellets and they actually put on weight, they are shiny, producing like never before, no pale eyelids like last year, no health issues, I feel very confident breeding them back at 5 months fresh and two may actually milk through into kidding if I can't dry them up. We are cutting the grain down by half and they are still milking. 

I really believe protein defficiency was my problem and the quality of alfalfa hay I was feeding. It always looked great when we picked it up, a few weeks in the barn or hoop house and we saw brown growth between the flakes, not moldy, but yeasty smelling, this way they have a consistent diet that is always the same, same ingredients, same supplier, same nutritional value. I LOVE not having to store the bales and always worry I will run out in winter and have to chase it down and pay big $$$ for last year's cutting. I am kidding out 4 of the same does and will report in December/January how they do. 

With the 3 acres out back fenced next year, we'll have milk coming out of our ears and maybe quints, ha !!

I feed nothing else right now but the pellets and the oats,barley, BOSS off milk stand (it should say on milk stand but I don't feed it while I milk . 

I need to run to the screen printing shop to have a shirt made that says "Vicki made me do it", LOL. 

Jana


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## MiaBella Farm (Jul 22, 2008)

Ok well, I am feeding the 17% Alfalfa pellets as well...hmmmmmmmm.....


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## prairie nights (Jan 16, 2009)

free choice ? 

Michelle, it also may be much hotter where you are, not sure. We are having very high 90's and climbed into the 100 a couple of times but nothing like last year. I am not showing any heat stress signs in the goats, they all seem very comfortable in their shade and milk away.


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## MiaBella Farm (Jul 22, 2008)

Well, yes it is hotter here and more humid, so I believe that is making the difference. I'll just need to do my own experiements when the girls freshen in the spring...I'll have more time then. I have some that will be kidding out in December (mostly FF's) and could maybe do some experimenting then as well.


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## carlidoe (Jul 30, 2010)

I'm not worried about feeding my goats a high-protein grain. 
I have a friend that is one of the biggest alfalfa growers in the area, a good ol' wise Texas farmer . He is currently selling me this years 1st cut at 5.25 a bale. 
He describes this hay as "having gone through a drying spell-a good, tobacco leaf hay with a high digestable protein".
This hay is probably close to 17% digestable protein.
When I first brought this girl home, I was really pouring the feed to her (the people I bought her from were giving her 6lbs of grain per day), plus giving her this hay. I'm not sure what happened, but she did get sick and go off feed. Acted like her stomach hurt. I think her diet was too high in protein once I introduced her to my alfalfa. This oat and boss ration will probably be fine with her. After all, it is just meant to "replace energy" and isn't her main diet.

I am friends with Sandy VanEcho, from Sir Echo farms in Tucson, check out her website...amazing Obies. 
I spoke with her yesterday and she was talking about how hard a high protein diet is on goats. It's good for production, but not longevity.


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## prairie nights (Jan 16, 2009)

Carli, yes, too much protein is harmful to the rumen, the key is again a balanced diet offering what the goat needs nutritionally, best in form of roughage. 

6 lbs of grain would give anyone a tummy ache, wonder how you keep a calciumhosporus ratio with that and it's just too much grain to process anyway. Grain is a concentrate and needs to be fed carefully. Glad you switched her. 

Jana


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## carlidoe (Jul 30, 2010)

I know! When the owner told me they were giving her 6lbs a day that sounded like a lot...but me being a newbie I just did my best to keep everything the same! Lesson learned. One down, thousands to go, ha!


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## carlidoe (Jul 30, 2010)

I'm going to go to TSC and pick up barley and beet pulp tomorrow. My girl could stand to gain a few lbs. 
I mixed baking soda with their minerals today. What exactly is the baking soda for? I just used it because a lot of you guys said you use it. Peer pressure!! Anyways, they ate their minerals.


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