Prefered hay

Alfalfa:

keeps them warm and in good condition during winter. I feed it all year around.

Helps kids grow better when creeping

Has Calcium in it, to help momma's to be and growing kids.

I did try one year and fed Oat hay in the morning and Alfalfa at night, it worked really well for them too.

I wish I could feed Alfalfa.. But it costs way to much here.. Crazy!

So I feed a grass/clover/mix and alfalfa pellets to supplement the alfalfa. works well for me

Do I understand you have to introduce them to alfalfa slowly or it will give them the runs?

Any dietary change should always been done slowly including hay.

Pregnant nursing and growing goats get alfalfa. If not oat hay is my main choice but also did very well with wheat and rye hay. If the rye is cut before it comes to head its actually very good hay. More protein then alfalfa but about 2/3 of the calcium.

My goats love the alfalfa (this time of year I am see alot of stemmy hay though so there is lots of wastage) the orchard grass hay is actually more expensive, and they dont like it as much....

We use alfalfa only here.

I've started giving my does alfalfa now that they're all bred. But, when none of them were in milk I just gave a Timothy/grass mix we had for the horses

What does everyone feed in to reduce waste? It seems like thy waste so much!

They do tend to waste a lot!

I put all their hay in horse hay bags. It works perfectly and there is little to no hay wasted.

I haven't seen any creature that wastes more hay than goats. Drives ya nuts. I like to free choice, but when I do they waste a lot of it. I'm trying to come up with some idea for a big square bale feeder, but haven't gotten it figured out yet.

Jocelnlee said:

What does everyone feed in to reduce waste? It seems like thy waste so much!

Click to expand...

It doesn't matter what you feed in, free choice feeding will result in a lot of wasted hay.

You can feed all alfalfa pellets as long as they have other access to browse. I am really considering doing this because I am tired of all the waste!!

I googled goat feeders and there are some really simple good ideas! I am totally making one today!