This is for 3 pregnant and one open, dry doe. They go out on a big pasture with plenty of grazing and browse (not a lot of variety browse, just scrub oak and pepper trees, neither of which is terribly nutritious I don't think). Aprox 10.5 hours a day.
At night they go in a stall, they get free choice coastal hay overnight but it is yellow and doesn't look very nutritious. They will only eat it if they are very bored or very hungry. Everyone gets a scoop of timothy pellets at turn-in (just pelleted timothy grass hay) nice and green.
I could buy them fancy soft green grass hay but it might as well be a brick of gold for what it costs and my experience has been that they eat it like candy, just because it tastes good, and then lay at the gate all day and don't graze because they are stuffed on hay. Plus they waste a LOT of it on the floor.
W/timothy pellets nothing is wasted and they get my best guess at what is enough and they can't stand there stuffing their faces all night- they just nibble at the coastal.
They also get their weight recomendation of Manna Pro Goat Balancer. I don't remember to give it to them every day, but at least a few times a week. They also have free choice Sweetlix which they do not touch, baking soda, and free choice Healthy Minerals:
Calcium, maximum 9.50%
Calcium, minimum 8.50%
Phosphorus, minimum 4.00%
Salt, maximum 12.00%
Salt, minimum 11.00%
Magnesium, minimum 3.00%
INGREDIENTS
Dried Kelp, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Magnesium Oxide, Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate, Diatomaceous Earth, Sulfur, Garlic, Dehydrated Apple Cider Vinegar, Copper Sulfate, Selenium Yeast.
I also bring them branches for overnight 2 or 3 days a week- all the trees that they like & don't have in their pasture
|
|||||||
Replies
Never mind the rump question, I googled it...
Ha ha, well loved, is that code for fat!?
What is a "smooth rump" anyway? vs a steep one?
Here's my dilemma on clipping...I thought about doing it just for pics but down here, it's either chilly at night or the mosquitoes are the size of small birds and either way, they need all their hair for protection. I can't justify it no matter what time of the year it is. I guess they are doomed to be fuzzy forever
They look well loved. :)
It is really tough to give any sort of meaningful critique when goats are not clipped. For example, most goats look like they have a steep rump when unclipped, but the hair on most rumps makes them look a lot worse than they really are. It doesn't look like anyone has a particularly smooth rump in these photos, but it could totally be the hair.
PS If I may hijack my own thread, I always see all these people's conformational critique of their goats but I don't really know how to do that. Besides being stubby and chubby - how would you describe these guys? the NDs are no show stoppers-- I know!! though I have to say Penny (top dark ND, is THE most unphotogenic goat who ever lived and she can be quite a lot prettier in person)
This may be a better shot of Annie
These are the 3 pregnant ones, taken last week.
hmm...how much protein could possibly be in a 1/2 oz of anything? Well actually Deborah, when I read the link you put up, I realized that I am feeding them the wrong dose, 1/2 oz is for 25 lbs or less and they are all around 50# except for the mini mancha who is probably at least 75.
Anyway, apparently I have been feeding them 1/2 the recommended dose for their weight, approximately 3 times a week. I could just stop feeding it to them altogether...but if the Healthy Minerals is their only source, are they getting all the vitamins and minerals they need? I have some E & Sel gel that I will give before they kid.
They are basically shiny & round, everyone looks good except all are a little more pale than I would like but I did just do a copper bolus maybe a week and a half ago so I am hoping that will bring them around.
If your goats look good and are healthy, you're probably doing fine.
I've never used Goat Balancer, but knowing how high Calf Manna is in protein, I looked it up:
http://www.mannapro.com/products/goat/goat-balancer/nutritional-inf...
You definitely don't want to feed more than the recommended amount because it is 20% protein.
Rachel, the Manna Pro is not grain. It is just a vitamin supplement, ration balancer type thing. It is pellets but there is one of those little 1 oz scoops in it and my best estimate of the dose for a nigerian is like a little less than 1/2 the 1 oz scoop. It is a tiny amount, and I'm sure it's negligible calorie- wise.
They eat the Healthy Minerals like crazy, but it has a lot less vitamins and minerals in it than the sweetlix does. But surely eating that is better than eating nothing, which is how it was before. The same scoop of Sweetlix would sit there untouched for six months. I am currently experimenting with mixing a small amount of Sweetlix in with the Healthy Minerals to see if they would eat it that way. Plus the Healthy one is super expensive and I get it through the mail, so if it slows them down a bit, I don't mind :)
I think your regiment looks pretty good! Be careful with graining (the Manna Pro?) because grain fed to pregnant does can cause kids to grow too large, and cause complications. Since you aren't feeding that every day, I'd say you have less to worry about with that.