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Alfalfa hay is also popular for feeding goats and has more protein, vitamins, and minerals than grass hays, typically. It can be a good choice for feeding milking goats as it has more protein, energy and calcium.
Can goats live on hay alone?
Grain – (0-10% of their diet) – Goats don’t need grain to survive, in fact, they can live happily on pasture or hay, or a combination of both.
What is the best hay for male goats?
Quality grass hay is good for all goats, for at least part of their diets. It’s really the only hay that bucks, wethers, and dry does should have, and it can be fed free choice.
What hay gives goats?
When keeping domestic goats, hay is essential for two reasons: It provides both nutrition and dry roughage to balance the moisture and fiber content in the rumen. I often hear the terms “hay” and “straw” used interchangeably, and I cringe.
Do goats prefer hay or straw?
Since goats will not eat straw because they prefer hay, you can keep bedding intact. There are three different types of hay, Grass, Legume and Cereal Grain. Grass Hay can be timothy, orchard grass or other types of grass or broom grass. Legume includes alfalfa, clover, or soy.
Will goats eat grass?
Goats like variety. Even if they do nibble some grass along with their favorite weeds and brush, they also need a good high-nutrition food source like alfalfa hay.
Do goats need baking soda?
From what I have researched, all goats can enjoy baking soda, and similar to minerals, goats will eat baking soda free-choice, consuming as much, or as little, as they need. Baking soda is known to keep the rumen’s pH in balance and aid in digestion.
Do goats need hay in summer?
Goats need the extra nutrition that comes from feeding hay. They get a good deal of protein and energy from hay, especially in the winter months. You will use less hay in the summer than you do in the winter months if your goats have access to pasture and a lot of forage.
How many goats can you have per acre?
How Many Goats Per Acre? Goats are similar to sheep in that you can support about six to eight goats on an acre of land. Because goats are browsers, not grazers, it will be important that the land you have will supply them with the sort of forage they like to eat—see below.
Is Coastal hay good for goats?
Coastal is a good, maintenance grass hay that gives all of the additional nutrients horses need. Sheep and goats can eat every type of hay. Coastal or hay-grazer will be the most sufficient types of hay as a maintenance. Alfalfa is a good forage if they need additional protein added to their diet.
How many bales of hay does a goat need?
One rule of thumb says 1 square bale per goat per week. Again, there are a lot of factors, but if you have absolutely no idea how much hay you need, start there and keep track. I’ve said it before, write it all down, because you will forget how many bales you had and how long they lasted.
Do goats need to be locked up at night?
Goats should be locked up at night if they can’t otherwise be kept safe from inclement weather, predators, thieves, or other dangerous factors. Goats can be safely kept outside at night with the right precautions to keep them safe and happy while outside overnight.
What should you not feed goats?
But, just like other animals, goats shouldn’t consume things like garlic, onion, chocolate or any source of caffeine, to name a few. Although most goats wouldn’t eat leftover meat scraps, they shouldn’t be offered them either. Citrus fruits should also be avoided, as they can really upset the rumen.
Will goats eat wet hay?
Do NOT ever feed wet or moldy hay or grain to goats. Wet grain must be thrown out, but wet bales of hay can be broken and aired out until thoroughly dry, then used as goat feed . . . . IF the bales are lightly wet and all mold and mildew has disappeared.
Is orchard grass hay good for goats?
Orchardgrass is well adapted to inter-seeding with legumes such as alfalfa, clovers and lespedeza. Another advantage of orchardgrass is its potential for high yields when well fertilized. The palatability of orchardgrass is good and goats readily consume it.
How do you store hay for goats?
Store hay where it’s accessible. Don’t stack hay higher than you can safely move it—this is especially important when stacking large round bales. And stack new hay behind older bales so you can feed the older hay first. Hay stacked on bare ground or concrete wicks moisture up through the bottom tiers, ruining the hay.
Should goats have salt blocks?
An essential for successful goat production. When consumed in the right amounts, Champion’s Choice® Salt in bags or blocks can help goats grow faster and produce more milk. Whether you’re raising goats for meat or milk, they need salt to help maintain healthy appetite and body weight.
What weeds do goats like to eat?
While his goats will eat about anything, they do want weeds to be at the right stage of growth, Smith says. “They love musk thistle at the right stage, and Canadian thistles at the bloom stage. They also really like multiflora rose, horseweeds, lambs- quarter, ragweed, and burdock.” Goats do very well on weeds, too.
How many acres can a goat clear?
One farmer reported that 10 goats can clear an acre in 1 month; Another observed that 30 goats can clear 1/2 acre in 3 or 4 days; Even another said 200 goats cleared 30 acres in 6 weeks; In rare cases some people report using up to 34 goats per acre.
