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  • Melissa Johnson January 5, 2013 at 8:10pm

    How grain do you start with and how do you increase?

    Since I have so few goats (5) - I feed orchard grass. Granted it is extravagent - but they dont eat that much. I also have a timothy/fescue mix from my field - so they enjoy that as much as the orchard grass.  I figure what mine may lack - the orchard grass should pick up the difference.  I am feeding Payback Goat Plus minerals - a member told me about it - however, they do tend to like the Sweetlix Meat Maker better but in the winter - it is so damp here the Sweetlix absorbs the moisture too bad.

    The vet was pretty amazed at the nutritional value in this stuff - calcium/phosphorus content

    Payback Goat Plus Mineral

    Guaranteed Analysis Calciumnot less than16.0% Calciumnot more than17.0% Phosphorusnot less than8.0% Saltnot less than11.0% Saltnot more than12.0% Magnesiumnot less than1.5% Cobaltnot less than20ppm Coppernot less than1,750ppm Iodinenot less than200ppm Manganesenot less than5,000ppm Seleniumnot less than50.0ppm Zincnot less than7,000ppm Vitamin Anot less than300,000IU/lb Vitamin Dnot less than60,000IU/lb Vitamin Enot less than400IU/lb

    anyway -

  • Amy Bell January 5, 2013 at 1:58pm

    Everyone in my barn is dry at the moment as well. I only start to grain does when I notice them starting to bag up, which hasnt happened yet. I have a couple due in February. Start slowly with the grain ration and after they have delivered you can offer more. I am afraid of getting heavy kids at delivery-its happened before. Right now I have added a little alfalfa into their diet but they are still eating mostly grass hay. They have access to loose minerals and a separate molassas mineral/protein block.

  • Melissa Johnson January 5, 2013 at 1:28pm

    Thanks Amy! I've been afraid to give them that much. I have one that would eat the whole bag if she could and another that shoes restraint. They are so little I look at them and think how could someone feed them 4 cups? I have one that is a bit fat I think presently. ;/   She is bred and I know that isnt a good thing - I have been giving everyone only a cup of grain a day presently with 1/4 c. calf manna - I think I have been too kind.  Besides - everyone is dry presently.
     
    Amy Bell said:

    The does that need a few extra pounds "eat until they are done" but within reason. I think my limit would be 4-5 cups at the most. A heavy goat would get less. Yeah I guess I'm pretty fast but most of my goats except for the occasional first milker will wait until I'm finished-then they can have a cookie for good behavior!
     
    Melissa Johnson said:

    You dont have to worry about them eating too much?? - if they are allowed to eat until you are done? I am a slow milker though - someone I know with Nigerians - milks hers in 3 min. cause that is how fast they consume their ration.  She is incredibly fast I would say and her does are very accommodating. ^^

    Amy Bell said:

    My favorite is Purina Goat Chow which is widely available but I have also used Klassie Goat (Ranchway Feeds) with good results. Personally I use a scoop that I know more or less how much I am giving but I go more by condition of the goat and how much milk she is giving. Last summer I had a first freshener that was giving 1/2 to 3/4 gallon of milk a day. I couldnt keep her weight up so she was eating all she wanted on the stand. I would say she was eating about 4 + cups of feed at a time. Now my older does seem to get a little heavy the longer they are milking and so I cut back accordingly over time. Later into their lactation they will usually run out of feed before I'm done milking. I mix about 1/4 cup black sunflower seed into their grain as well.

  • Melissa Johnson January 5, 2013 at 1:18pm

    Thanks Amy - that is good info - If it were a standard size goat - I wouldnt think much of the amount, which the Nigerians I have always been afraid to give them much grain - well, no more than a cup at one time. However, I will say when I was trying to milk my FF - she got much more! Deborah shared some valuable info about milking - I believe she said with a FF you should milk after 3 hours(?) - or so - rather than try to milk her at full - it was painful..... urgggg.
     
    Amy Bell said:

    The does that need a few extra pounds "eat until they are done" but within reason. I think my limit would be 4-5 cups at the most. A heavy goat would get less. Yeah I guess I'm pretty fast but most of my goats except for the occasional first milker will wait until I'm finished-then they can have a cookie for good behavior!
     
    Melissa Johnson said:

    You dont have to worry about them eating too much?? - if they are allowed to eat until you are done? I am a slow milker though - someone I know with Nigerians - milks hers in 3 min. cause that is how fast they consume their ration.  She is incredibly fast I would say and her does are very accommodating. ^^

    Amy Bell said:

    My favorite is Purina Goat Chow which is widely available but I have also used Klassie Goat (Ranchway Feeds) with good results. Personally I use a scoop that I know more or less how much I am giving but I go more by condition of the goat and how much milk she is giving. Last summer I had a first freshener that was giving 1/2 to 3/4 gallon of milk a day. I couldnt keep her weight up so she was eating all she wanted on the stand. I would say she was eating about 4 + cups of feed at a time. Now my older does seem to get a little heavy the longer they are milking and so I cut back accordingly over time. Later into their lactation they will usually run out of feed before I'm done milking. I mix about 1/4 cup black sunflower seed into their grain as well.

  • Amy Bell January 4, 2013 at 10:28pm

    The does that need a few extra pounds "eat until they are done" but within reason. I think my limit would be 4-5 cups at the most. A heavy goat would get less. Yeah I guess I'm pretty fast but most of my goats except for the occasional first milker will wait until I'm finished-then they can have a cookie for good behavior!
     
    Melissa Johnson said:

    You dont have to worry about them eating too much?? - if they are allowed to eat until you are done? I am a slow milker though - someone I know with Nigerians - milks hers in 3 min. cause that is how fast they consume their ration.  She is incredibly fast I would say and her does are very accommodating. ^^

    Amy Bell said:

    My favorite is Purina Goat Chow which is widely available but I have also used Klassie Goat (Ranchway Feeds) with good results. Personally I use a scoop that I know more or less how much I am giving but I go more by condition of the goat and how much milk she is giving. Last summer I had a first freshener that was giving 1/2 to 3/4 gallon of milk a day. I couldnt keep her weight up so she was eating all she wanted on the stand. I would say she was eating about 4 + cups of feed at a time. Now my older does seem to get a little heavy the longer they are milking and so I cut back accordingly over time. Later into their lactation they will usually run out of feed before I'm done milking. I mix about 1/4 cup black sunflower seed into their grain as well.

  • Melissa Johnson January 4, 2013 at 9:46pm

    You dont have to worry about them eating too much?? - if they are allowed to eat until you are done? I am a slow milker though - someone I know with Nigerians - milks hers in 3 min. cause that is how fast they consume their ration.  She is incredibly fast I would say and her does are very accommodating. ^^

    Amy Bell said:

    My favorite is Purina Goat Chow which is widely available but I have also used Klassie Goat (Ranchway Feeds) with good results. Personally I use a scoop that I know more or less how much I am giving but I go more by condition of the goat and how much milk she is giving. Last summer I had a first freshener that was giving 1/2 to 3/4 gallon of milk a day. I couldnt keep her weight up so she was eating all she wanted on the stand. I would say she was eating about 4 + cups of feed at a time. Now my older does seem to get a little heavy the longer they are milking and so I cut back accordingly over time. Later into their lactation they will usually run out of feed before I'm done milking. I mix about 1/4 cup black sunflower seed into their grain as well.

  • Melissa Johnson January 4, 2013 at 9:42pm

    I would compare the nutritional stats between the products (grain). You can do that online if you google the product - you will be able to get the stats from their site.  I have been using Albers Super Goat - it has vitamins and such also.

    My neighbor mixes her grain with sunflower seeds, peas and such - she gets lots of milk. ^^ I remember Deborah also mentioned a noticeable difference adding black sunflower seeds.

  • Janel Rickey January 3, 2013 at 8:49pm

    Thanks Margaret that would be great.  Someone else just posted a site for kelp too.  I would be interested in the price comparison. :0) 

    Margaret Langley said:

    Janel, I don't know if it will help any but, I have spoke with the kelp people on the phone and was told I could order 50# for about $50 or $55 course shipping was up there a bit to on that weight but I still think it was a pretty good deal considering I pd. like $15 for 3 #s from Jeffers. If you are interested, I will get you the info. As soon as I can I am going to order 50#s. 

  • Amy Bell January 3, 2013 at 8:44pm

    My scoops are actually plastic yogurt or pudding containers from the store. They are 16 oz./2 cups.

    I also forgot to mention that last year I started putting about 1/4 cup (package directions) of Calf Manna into my feed for my milkers. It costs about $34 a bag but is concentrated and lasts quite a while. Its also easy to find!

  • Nicholas Windsor January 3, 2013 at 6:55pm

    It sounds like Purina Goat Chow is a good one (which is what I have). I used it to feed my new doe kids from when they were two - six months. I saw Noble Goat Dairy Parlor 16 and Noble Goat Dairy Parlor 18 on the Purina Mills website and I liked it because it is specifically for lactating does and is in a pelleted form so they can't pick and choose what they want and leave the rest. Has anyone used this? How do you like it? 

     I am thinking I will start out with just letting them eat as much as they want while on the stand and see how they do. If they look to under weight I will allow more time on the stanchion and if they get to chunky I will cut back their proportions.  Thank you all for your opinions!

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