Complete goat feed recipe... Anybody have one?

24812 Views 31 Replies 11 Participants Last post by ksalvagno, Aug 22, 2014

VillageCreek

Discussion Starter · Aug 18, 2014

Does anyone have a complete goat ration recipe? If you do, and you don't mind sharing, by all means post it! Don't forget to include how much you feed! I think it will be a benefit to many to discuss feeding and nutrition here on The Goat Spot.

1 - 20 of 32 Posts

margaret

· #2 · Aug 18, 2014

I mix my own feed and this is the recipe that I use:
150 lbs Alfalfa pellets
50 lbs oats
25 lbs Steam rolled barley
15 lbs BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds)
10 lbs soybean meal.

I have Alpines and my milking does get about 4-5 lbs a day.
Doelings and yearling get 2 lbs a day.
Bucks get 1 lb a day during breeding season.
I know some people don't feed yearlings but I feel like she needs it.

kccjer

· #3 · Aug 18, 2014

We mix our own too.

300 pounds alfalfa pellets
300 pounds rolled corn
300 pounds oats
100 pounds roasted soybean halves
50 pounds BOSS
25 pounds Calf Manna
3 to 5% molasses to bind it together

We feed our milk does as much as they will eat on the milking stand. Our other does get between a couple handfuls each (when out on pasture) just to keep them sorta tame. And get approximately a 5 gal bucket between 8 of them when it's breeding time and when they have kids on.

In the summer our does are all out on a grass pasture and don't get any hay. When there is no pasture they get pretty much free choice hay. The hay is whatever we happen to have on hand....grass or wheat mainly. If we get lucky enough to pick up some reasonably priced alfalfa they'll get some of that too.

Any animal that is not holding weight gets put in a pen by themselves and fed more until weight is back up and we figure out why they are losing.

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VillageCreek

Discussion Starter · #4 · Aug 18, 2014

Margaret, how much hay do you feed with this?

margaret

· #5 · Aug 18, 2014

No hay right now, the does have plenty of pasture so they don't even want it.
When they do need hay they get free choice.
I also forgot to add that for my Nigerians I feed 2 lbs a day for milking does and 1 lb a day for kids.

Hollowdweller

· #6 · Aug 18, 2014

300 lbs Purina Noble Goat Charge concentrate
200lbs Corn
100 lbs Rolled Barley
30 lbs oats
5% black oil sunflower
5" liquid molasses

bclev

· #7 · Aug 18, 2014

These feeds work for meat goats as well????

VillageCreek

Discussion Starter · #8 · Aug 19, 2014

I would think these feeds would work for meat goats. You may want to add some protein supplement for optimum muscling.

Hollowdweller

· #9 · Aug 19, 2014

VillageCreek said:
I would think these feeds would work for meat goats. You may want to add some protein supplement for optimum muscling.

For meat goats I'm guessing less protein because they don't make milk as much.

My formula is about 18% so I wouldn't go any higher.

VillageCreek

Discussion Starter · #10 · Aug 19, 2014

I just tweaked my recipe. I think I'm going to start feeding this one:

10 parts oats
5 parts rice bran
6 parts alfalfa pellets
3 parts rolled barley
Up to .75% sodium bicarbonate, as always.

12% min. protein, 4.5% min. fat, 20% max fiber.

I was looking for something to cut down on hay usage. What do you guys think?

happybleats

· #11 · Aug 19, 2014

we do 6 parts whole oats 4 parts barley and 2 parts BOSS..mix well and serve one part mix with 3 parts alfalfa....( we used to do equal parts barley but goats got loose poo lol)..

Reactions: 1

happybleats

· #12 · Aug 19, 2014

great one I love ( but we went no gmo) is

6 parts whole oats
2 parts calf manna
2 parts BOSS
1 part beet pulp...

mix and serve once part mix with 3 parts alfafa pellets...

VillageCreek

Discussion Starter · #13 · Aug 19, 2014

If you don't mind me asking, what's the avg price of alfalfa pellets in your area? Around here they're .36/lb, and alfalfa bales are HARD to find. Just wondering...

happybleats

· #14 · Aug 19, 2014

alfalfa pellets now runs about $14 a 40# bag I believe .... we have paid $250 for a large 4x4x3 bale of alfalfa...but now we use mostly chafe hay.

Lily's Mom

· #15 · Aug 21, 2014

If you google Sandy Lane, I use their feed recipee. It works well for meat and dairy goats. The big thing for me was the milk flavor we were getting from this over anything with corn or commercial blends.

Esther88

· #16 · Aug 21, 2014

happybleats said:
alfalfa pellets now runs about $14 a 40# bag I believe .... we have paid $250 for a large 4x4x3 bale of alfalfa...but now we use mostly chafe hay.

Not trying to steal the thread just thought I would pick your brain about a couple of things. I was just thinking today about switching my guys to alfalfa pellets instead of hay. (I feed my horses pellets) My doe seems like she wastes at least 50% of her hay and she loves pellets when I give them to her. How many lbs of pellets should be fed per day for a lactating doe if this is her main source of food other than the bermuda she has free choice? Also, what benefits does the beet pulp have for a lactating doe? I do feed it to my horses in the winter time. Does it need to be soaked prior to feeding if it's shredded?

VillageCreek

Discussion Starter · #17 · Aug 21, 2014 (Edited)

Esther, This is exactly why I created this thread. Let's discuss this. I've been wondering about this, also. The only hay we can find is pretty much terrible quality, but I guess it's better than nothing.

Esther88

· #18 · Aug 22, 2014

VillageCreek said:
Esther, This is exactly why I created this thread. Let's discuss this. I've been wondering about this, also. The only hay we can find is pretty much terrible quality, but I guess it's better than nothing.

Our hay quality is very variable here as well and it makes me want to cry seeing how much alfalfa just rots into the dirt :dazed: lol. I know I feed my horses 3 coffee can sized scoops of pellets twice daily along with a complete feed, rice bran, and beet pulp in the winter. I'm trying to get my doe's body condition a little better as she will be my son's show animal this spring. I'm thinking she is low on copper too. I see a lot of people on here feed BOSS I was just thinking of adding sunflower to her ration as well since I've heard it can increase the amount of butterfat (not sure if it's true) among other things. I didn't know you could feed rice bran, I may start that as well.

Esther88

· #19 · Aug 22, 2014

VillageCreek said:
If you don't mind me asking, what's the avg price of alfalfa pellets in your area? Around here they're .36/lb, and alfalfa bales are HARD to find. Just wondering...

Oh and I know this is irrelevant info since we don't live in the same area but I pay 14.00 for an 80 lb bag of pellets and 17.00 for a 100 lb bale.

ksalvagno

· #20 · Aug 22, 2014

They still need long stem. So you really can't replace the pellets for hay. You can replace some of the hay for alfalfa pellets but not all of it.

No need to soak beet pulp. You need to be careful how much fat is in their diet so you only feed a small amount of BOSS or rice bran. I would not feed both.

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