Hello I need to know how much grain you would feed a 5 month old pygmy weather... one of my 4H girls would like to know.. I have his twin sister but she shares a couple scoops of grain with her buddy a 7 mo old alpine cross.. Donna Brewer
Sounds like you have things under control for the most part I would add a goat loose mineral (not block) and also some baking soda. Please be careful with grain on the wether as it can cause a urinary blockage. My wethers do not get any grain at all. I will give them a little pellets so they don't feel left out - but no grain. As far as hay, what type are you feeding? If you breed the doeling, I would move her to a grass/ alfalfa or alfalfa hay before delivery or to a comparable pellet. That way she can get the calcium needed. Hope I got everything, but if not I know that others will! :thumb:
So you are saying that the 5 mo old weather should not be getting grain any more? It is one of those things were you do it your way but when some one else ask you want a really good smart answer.. As far as the does are concered I do not breed till they are going to be 2yr old at time of deliverery. and I feed them grain till they are one years old so they get grain throught the winter then after that they only get it after they are breed and milking or feeding babies. Donna
Yes, I personally would not feed grain. I do not know exactly what it is, but I think it is the protein, that causes the urinary blockage by forming stones. There are others that know way more then I do about it - but I would look into it. My bucks do not even get grain. They get pellets (usually timothy/alfalfa) during rutt - but that is it. I did hear that BOSS for bucks can cause temporary sterlility in the bucks also. Hope this helps and others also help you out to answer some questions.
We gave our pygmy wether a little less than a half cup of grain once a day. . . . he felt like he "needed" it. We only fed a dry cob, so not a whole lot of protein. No alfalfa, only grass hay and free-choice minerals. Hoegger's Goat Supply sells a mineral that is good for wethers and bucks. We never bought this and our wether did wonderfully and still is doing great! I always, always make sure I see them pee every feeding, (twice daily).
A small amount of grain as a "treat" wouldn't hurt, but his main staple should be a good quality mixed grass hay and always a loose mineral...I feed all my goats, bucks and does a "goat feed"...it has the correct ratio of phosphorus and calcium in proportion to the feed itself, so it's pretty balanced, I've not had an issue with urinary calculi (yet)...I do provide a loose mineral with added ammonium chloride as a "safety" measure and though the boys get just a half cup each, the older buck will get more as he pushes the young ones away...they get browse as well as mixed grass/timothy hay and LOTS of water this works for me, but may not work for you....you can get a feed that has ammonium chloride allready in it and give that instead of a "sweet" feed, but beware....pygmy's tend to get "beefy" ....too much grain and they get too fat, it's the breed. If you feel you decide to not grain him and worry about his condition, run your hand down his back...you should be able to feel his spine, not have to dig for it or even hane it feel "like a razor blade"....if he feels good to you then you know he is getting what he needs to grow. Hope this helped you. :wink:
