Hi All!
Most of my goats are dry this winter with one bred because I just couldn't seem to resist another set of babies from my favorite milking goat.
Since most are dry - they are not getting any grain - just hay, some chaffhaye for treats, leaves and browse I've collected.
I'd like to give them a bit of good quality things over the winter - including BOSS. How much BOSS do you seem to give per Nigerian? Do you do it per their coat/needs or just everyone get the same thing?
I collected acorns from the woods this year because every day in the fall - as we went for our woods walk - the first place they ran to was under the oaks looking for the few new fallen acorns. So somewhere else - I collected a bunch and they got them once a week for a fat treat.
What else besides carrots and BOSS do you all give for yummy healthy treats? I will go read that interesting nutrition list again to get more ideas but I also like asking.
Judy
Replies
I have discovered a treat that drives our kids into a frenzy.
It is the height of mango season here and I tried a bit of the peel on them (after we had eaten the flesh from the inside with a spoon). I nearly lost a finger! They are CRAZY for it. They even abjure the cut up bits of windfall apple and pear, which they normally just adore. (I suppose the windfalls have the decided slight disadvantage of actually having touched the ground "The ground??Yech!" though that doesn't seem to bother them normally.)
I hate going in the barn for evening feeding empty handed since only one of mine is getting any grain (she is carrying a bunch of kids and is due in 2 weeks)-- so I bring out a bowl of cut up fruit and veggies for the dry does to share and I sprinkle in a little boss too. I give them carrots, sweet potatoes, apples sometimes greens stalks, celery, whatever I have-- just a small amount for them to share so they don't moon over the one on the milk stand getting grain LOL. My milk stand is in the open barn but has an enclosure around it with a gate. Yes they are all quite spoiled but not fat!!
My little ones love raisons, I buy the organic ones from Costo -no sulfer. They also love apples and tangerines. I have one little girl that will climb up and over me for a peppermint candy. She doesn't get that very often -they also love animal crackers but that is also seldom given. I don't know if that couldn't cause teeth problems . When the blackberries were in season they went nuts for them also, and grapes and blueberries. Right now we get walks for browse when weather permits. My adult girls love peanut butter and that is handy for me to give them their COWP. I just open a capsule and mix it in peanut butter. Oh yes -they liked peanuts in the shell when I had some.
I guess our greedy little herd loves a lot of things. I have too many frozen blueberries put away -so will have to try those after they warm up just a little.
I give them grain all year - during the dry time they just get much less. Sunflower seeds are mixed in with my grain.