Male Goat Feeding Advice Needing

Tiffany L

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Is there a type of grain you suggest for males? I was suggested to use Blue Seal Meat Goat Grow and Finish DC
here's the label:
MEAT GOAT GROW & FINISH DC PELLET - MEDICATED A Complete Feed for Growing and Finishing Goats For the prevention of coccidiosis in young goats caused by Eimeria christenseni and Eimeria ninakohlyakimovae. ACTIVE DRUG INGREDIENT: Decoquinate (from Deccox)Ö. 18 g/ton GUARANTEED ANALYSIS Crude Protein, Min....................................................... 16.0% This includes not more than 2.0% equivalent crude protein from non-protein nitrogen. (NPN from Ammonium Chloride) Crude Fat, Min.............................................................. 4.0% Crude Fiber, Max. ........................................................ 16.0% Calcium, Min................. 0.50% Max........................ 1.00% Phosphorus, Min......................................................... 0.45% Salt, Min........................ 0.50% Max........................ 1.00% Copper, Min. .................18 ppm Max...................... 28 ppm Selenium, Min......................................................... 0.30 ppm Vitamin A, Min. ......................................................4000 IU/lb INGREDIENTS Corn Meal, Wheat Middlings, Soybean Hulls, Corn Distillers Dried Grains, Wheat Flour, Oat Mill By-Product, Cane Molasses, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Yeast Culture, Vegetable Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Ammonium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Cobalt Carbonate, Calcium Iodate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Cobalt Glucoheptonate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, DL-Methionine. CAUTION: This feed contains supplemental copp
 

Tiffany L

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Also says:


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Meat Goat Grow & Finish DC Medicated




A highly-fortified, complete medicated feed for growing and finishing goats with Decoquinate for the prevention of coccidiosis. The fixed-component formula contains yeast culture for increasing digestibility, ammonium chloride to aid in the prevention of urinary calculi, and chelated trace minerals for increased bioavailability to promote muscle tissue and bone growth. Decoquinate has no withdrawal period.
 

babsbag

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None of my boys get grain. Never. Perhaps if I was raising meat goats I would creep feed to push the weight gain but the dairy boys do not get grain. The get a loose mineral, Sweetlix or Purina. They get Alfalfa hay, same as my does. On occasion, like once every few months, I feed a bale of wheat hay. The wheat is very high in Phosphorus so have to be extremely careful but the alfalfa is high in calcium so it is an offset.

I used to feed a palletized goat ration that I could sprinkle the Ammonium Chloride on, only way I could get them to eat it. But I haven't done that in a few years.
 

Tiffany L

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None of my boys get grain. Never. Perhaps if I was raising meat goats I would creep feed to push the weight gain but the dairy boys do not get grain. The get a loose mineral, Sweetlix or Purina. They get Alfalfa hay, same as my does. On occasion, like once every few months, I feed a bale of wheat hay. The wheat is very high in Phosphorus so have to be extremely careful but the alfalfa is high in calcium so it is an offset.

I used to feed a palletized goat ration that I could sprinkle the Ammonium Chloride on, only way I could get them to eat it. But I haven't done that in a few years.
What do you feed as far as Purina - they have several products where I am located?
 

Tiffany L

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What do you feed as far as Purina - they have several products where I am located?
None of my boys get grain. Never. Perhaps if I was raising meat goats I would creep feed to push the weight gain but the dairy boys do not get grain. The get a loose mineral, Sweetlix or Purina. They get Alfalfa hay, same as my does. On occasion, like once every few months, I feed a bale of wheat hay. The wheat is very high in Phosphorus so have to be extremely careful but the alfalfa is high in calcium so it is an offset.

I used to feed a palletized goat ration that I could sprinkle the Ammonium Chloride on, only way I could get them to eat it. But I haven't done that in a few years.


And how do you wean your boys? Just cut down on the bottle until they're eating hay?
 

jodief100

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I don't like that feed. Not enough calcium, copper or selenium. Those meat goat grower feeds are designed for fast growth on terminal animals. They aren't concerned about the long term health of the animal. Can you get Purina Noble Goat?

At six weeks your boy should already be eating hay. I don't raise many on bottles but when I do I cut down to two bottles a day at 8 weeks, one bottle at 10 weeks and stop at 12.
 

babsbag

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I was feeding them Purina Noble Goat. I believe it was the grower one, definitely not the Milk Parlor one.

I wean the same a jodief100 does but they are usually on a bucket so I just go to once a day feeding at 9 weeks. If on a dam, problem solved.
 

Tiffany L

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Over the weekend I was able to find 2 feeds. Could someone compare the two and tell me which would be best for my bucks.
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20150329_095725.jpg
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Tiffany L

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Sorry it duplicated the first one and put it sideways - that is the feed that I give to my does. The 2nd is Purina Noble Goat Grower.
 

SheepGirl

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I would say the first one due to the Ca:p being more in line than the second one. However, the second one has more energy, so you wouldn't need to feed as much as the first one. However, a 16% protein feed isn't required for bucks. They don't need that much protein (a 150 lb goat in maintenance needs about 7% protein in the ration). You could probably get by with a 12-14% feed fed in addition to hay.
 

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