Pellets? Grain? Hay? Types of Hay? Help?

1. The weight gaining number comes from how much weight your goats are gaining on a daily basis, or how much they SHOULD be gaining with proper nutrition. If your goats are 22 lbs, it is still possible for them to be gaining that much weight daily. But I don't think NDs or Pygmies gain that fast (0.2 to 0.25 lbs/day). Maybe they do, you will have to ask breeders. @OneFineAcre @goatwhisperer

2. Google "Goat Nutrient Requirements" -- I came across a few. One is a PowerPoint presentation titled "Goat Nutrition: Feeds & Feeding" published by the Oregon State University Extension Service. That is where I got the original 44 lb requirements from. They reference those numbers from "Nutrient Requirements of Small Ruminants" (2006). Being that your goats are smaller, I continued searching for other sources with other weights listed. That led me "Nutrient Requirements of the Goat" published by the West Virginia State University Extension Service. They reference "Nutrient Requirements of Domestic Animals No. 15 Nutrient Requirements of Goats."

Here are two charts I found useful.



So because your goats are 22 lbs, you would take the numbers from the first chart where the body weight is at 22 lbs and add them to the numbers from the second chart based on weight gain (more than likely 0.11 or 0.22 lbs/day).

0.35 lbs TDN maintenance + 0.22 lbs TDN growth = 0.57 lbs TDN requirement
0.05 lbs CP maintenance + 0.03 lbs CP growth = 0.08 lbs CP requirement

You would then do the feed calculations for those new requirements.

3. For the first one, 1.335 x 17% (or 0.17 typed in the calculator) = 0.22695. Your result is only 2.2%. I retyped it in and got the same thing. Same with 1.335 x 60% (or 0.6 typed in the calculator). This time your result is only 27%. The percentages that were multiplied by (17% and 60%) were the feed values of the alfalfa hay.

And there is a spreadsheet for balancing rations that makes things so much easier. I created one to make my chicken feed also (I googled chicken nutrient requirements and applied the same principles). This is the one I use for my sheep: http://media.wix.com/ugd/aded98_31bc952b9ce240df90b4887171815e14.xlsx?dn=2013UMESheepRation.xlsx

It appears there is now a goat one also. Go to the MD Small Ruminant Page > Resources > Spreadsheets > Nutrition

lkmartin1230 said:

I prefer Timothy grass. But, the alfalfa pellets are just as good. I have never had wether but, have bucks, and does.

Click to expand...

I have a question about the alfalfa pellets. at Tractor Supply they have these, but it's listed for Horses, is it still ok? I'm new to this as well....and still learning about this feeding thing. And I'm feeding Dumar pellets with a small bit of sweet for desert in the evenings. Should I just mix the alfalfa pellets and the Dumar together at feeding time?

I believe they list it for horses so they can charge more for it. It should all still be the same. Check the ingredients list for added ingredients (such as vitamin/mineral supplements etc). I don't know of any horse/goat relationships that are toxic/deficient.

And you can mix feed, but if they are anything like mine, they will eat the hay pellets last, if at all.

All of it is the same, both my horses, and my goats eat it.

Good to know! Thanks!!!