A Noobie :)

june2013

Exploring the pasture
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Hello!! I live in SoCal and am new to everything! I have never raised any livestock, just dogs in the past. I am moving from where I currently live to a much larger home. Still house hunting, but it definitely will have at least one acre. (I've actually found a few places... I'm trying to live near Los Angeles.) In the mean time, I would like to stock up on any info I can before jumping into this. (I think it'll take a year or so :p)

And I do have one question: diet for bucks/wethers? I've been reading online and find that it says, "___ per doe." Why only doe? Do males have a completely different diet? I've also read up on backyardchickens.com that everyone has a different diet for their goats... Other than hay, what are the basics of goat diets that *all* goat lovers can agree on? I am so confused about the goat diet, someone please help!
 

Southern by choice

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Welcome to BYH! :frow

A doe will have some different requirements because they are the "producers" if you will. Top nutrition so they can conceive and carry to term, produce milk for offspring, and for the dairy goats- produce milk long term.

I am not sure you will get an answer that all can agree on. :)
There are many feeding practices that work, and each farm will be different. A dry lot environment is different then a high forage area and different from grass areas.

Wethers really should not have a lot of grain (feed) as it can lead to Urinary Calculi issues. UC happens when (usually) the Calcium/Phosphorus is out of balance. This can happen in intact bucks also.

Some will not give any feed (grain) to wethers or bucks. Some do.
Hay alone will not meet all the nutritional requirements. If you have great forage available that helps. Things like copper and selenium are often given as supplements depending on your region and how deficient that region is. Where the hay comes from may not be from your region etc.

If you plan on getting goats and the breeder is local ask lots of questions as that breeder will probably be best in helping you understand the region and the things they may need to supplement with.
 

june2013

Exploring the pasture
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Welcome to BYH! :frow

A doe will have some different requirements because they are the "producers" if you will. Top nutrition so they can conceive and carry to term, produce milk for offspring, and for the dairy goats- produce milk long term.

I am not sure you will get an answer that all can agree on. :)
There are many feeding practices that work, and each farm will be different. A dry lot environment is different then a high forage area and different from grass areas.

Wethers really should not have a lot of grain (feed) as it can lead to Urinary Calculi issues. UC happens when (usually) the Calcium/Phosphorus is out of balance. This can happen in intact bucks also.

Some will not give any feed (grain) to wethers or bucks. Some do.
Hay alone will not meet all the nutritional requirements. If you have great forage available that helps. Things like copper and selenium are often given as supplements depending on your region and how deficient that region is. Where the hay comes from may not be from your region etc.

If you plan on getting goats and the breeder is local ask lots of questions as that breeder will probably be best in helping you understand the region and the things they may need to supplement with.

*nod* I see... I would most likely have a large area where they would forage for. Sprinkle seeds and wait for it to grow a foot tall and let them graze on that. I was also thinking of planting some bushes and having them eat that with some trees to nibble on. Is that okay? I've heard some say that tree bark isn't good...but others swear it's great. Your personal opinion?
 

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