alfalfa/grass mix a no-no?

Hello all!

This is my first winter taking care of 2 doelings and a wether, and once again I have a diet question. I purchased some 3rd crop small bales of hay from a farmer and was told it was a grass/alfalfa blend. Now from what I'm reading alfalfa should not be fed to my nd's?

They are 33 weeks old, so 7 months ish, and since they are not on pasture any more i've been feeding them a little goat chow in the mornings about a 1/4 cup for the girls and 1/8th for the wether and giving them a flake of hay in their manger. They are crazy for the hay and will stand there and eat it all until they're stuffed! My breeder said to guage the amount of hay mix to feed by their weight, the girls are 25 & 26 lbs and the wether 30 lbs. I've been told to figure 3% of their weight to find the correct amount of hay. Sooo, I should be feeding about 2 1/2 lbs of hay. I weighed a flake today and it's about 4 lbs. I was also told that some people free feed hay. I think they would totally overeat if I did this.

My question is..... Should I start looking for some grass only hay? And does this amount of hay (3% to body weight) sound correct? How do you know if your nd's are chubby or just good stuffers? I don't feed them in the evenings, should I be doing this since they aren't on pasture anymore?

A change of seasons throws me for a loop and I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing. I live in SW Wisconsin and it gets cold!!!

It's not all that simple. If it's something like a 30/70 alfalfa/grass mix, then probably not a big deal for most goats. But if it's more like 70% or more alfalfa, then that'd be pretty rich. A lot of people will sell it as an alfalfa mix if there is any alfalfa in the field at all, even if it's really negligible. In your case, I wouldn't worry about feeding a richer feed to the doelings and even continuing the grain for a few more months because 25 pounds at 7 months is tiny. Some of my does that age are 40+ pounds, which is big enough to breed. It depends upon genetics and how much milk they consumed and for how long, as well as how much of a parasite load they've had over the months. In general, hay is fed free choice.

Unless your goats are genetically on the small side, I wouldn't worry about them being overweight. A fairly simple way to get a quick assessment of their condition is to look at the underside (backside) of their tail. If it looks and feels like a rat tail, they're underweight. If it's a triangle, thick at the base and tapers to the end, that's usually about perfect. If it looks like a kielbasa, thick and wide from base to tip, they're overweight. You should be able to feel their ribs, but you don't want them to look like a spinosaurus where you can press your fingers down on each side of their spine.

Replies

Beth Fortner November 21, 2011 at 2:50pm

Love that idea Rachel! That would be a good browse treat for them!!! I have to be away from home the rest of this week and my brother will be caring for them. It's the first time I've been away since getting them. I know he'll do a good job, but I feel like a bad goat mama. I'll cut a few branches when I get home tonight and they will have a treat in the morning.

This is a great forum, thank you both for your expertise!
Rachel Whetzel at MigMog Acres November 21, 2011 at 1:50pm

My goats love evergreens too! You could throw some in for them! I have a friend that feeds their christmas tree to their goats. lol
Beth Fortner November 21, 2011 at 1:44pm

Hi Rachel and Deborah

I'll take a look at the undersides of their tails. Their rumens still look full in the evenings and even in the mornings. I'll contact the farmer and see if he can give me a little more info on the exact mix of they hay/alfalfa. Ideally what kind of grass hay should I be feeding them? I can put a card on our local trading post and try to find something to find hay that's not as rich, and can be free fed.

Or since they sound underweight just free feed what I have? Maybe I can just free feed some weekend and see how much it takes to fill them up? Now I'm worried they are underweight!!! They love branches with leaves, but no more leaves in SW Wisc now!
Deborah Niemann-Boehle November 21, 2011 at 1:29pm

It's not all that simple. If it's something like a 30/70 alfalfa/grass mix, then probably not a big deal for most goats. But if it's more like 70% or more alfalfa, then that'd be pretty rich. A lot of people will sell it as an alfalfa mix if there is any alfalfa in the field at all, even if it's really negligible. In your case, I wouldn't worry about feeding a richer feed to the doelings and even continuing the grain for a few more months because 25 pounds at 7 months is tiny. Some of my does that age are 40+ pounds, which is big enough to breed. It depends upon genetics and how much milk they consumed and for how long, as well as how much of a parasite load they've had over the months. In general, hay is fed free choice.

Unless your goats are genetically on the small side, I wouldn't worry about them being overweight. A fairly simple way to get a quick assessment of their condition is to look at the underside (backside) of their tail. If it looks and feels like a rat tail, they're underweight. If it's a triangle, thick at the base and tapers to the end, that's usually about perfect. If it looks like a kielbasa, thick and wide from base to tip, they're overweight. You should be able to feel their ribs, but you don't want them to look like a spinosaurus where you can press your fingers down on each side of their spine.
Rachel Whetzel at MigMog Acres November 21, 2011 at 1:29pm

I don't ration my goat's hay. It's just an orchard blend, but my goats love it. I have three does, and they eat about a flake a day... a little less on some days, and a little more on others. Depends. They don't have a lot of other browse in their pen at the moment, but if I throw a tree branch in there for them, they will choose that over hay every time. I have heard that having a full rumen helps them stay warm. If you aren't feeding them in the evenings, I think you need to at least be sure their rumens are full, because burning their fuel (hay) helps them through the cold nights.

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