Can I wean my wethers and doe off of grain?

phiot349

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I have 5 wethers and 1 doe, ranging from 2-5 years old. I got 4 out of 6 of them when they were 8 weeks old, and the other two I got when they were just a day or two old as bottle babies. Ever since I got them from their breeder's, I have been told to keep them on grain. Lately, I just feel like it's too much. I am buying bags of feed about every 3 weeks. I was told to feed 1 cup per goat twice a day. They have been eating: Purina Goat Grower 16% - Medicated Goat Feed, ever since I got them.

I live in Florida. About 2 years ago we moved from a large farm and significantly downsized. While we still have land, our new place does not have nearly as much forage/grass. The goats were moved into a smaller paddock and basically devoured all of the grass in that area the first couple of weeks we moved in. Since that's the area they frequent, there's no chance for the grass to grow back. I have tried to move them to other areas of the property where there's more pasture, but unfortunately the horse on our property is extremely unruly and is aggressive towards our goats, so its not as often as I'd like.

The goats get unlimited coastal hay. (This is what I was told to give them by the breeder's) I was also told to provide them baking soda and mineral block, they will eat away at the mineral block fairly quickly, but only care for the baking soda for a short while. They have always acted very healthy and happy and I've never had issues with the way I have been feeding them, but I do feel like it might be too excessive after reading others diet plans for their goats. Is it safe to wean them off completely, or maybe I just need to decrease the amount? Maybe 1 cup per goat once a day? Or a 1/2 cup per goat twice a day? Please let me know what your suggestions are.

I have noticed lately since we've upgraded their area and built something to hold unlimited hay, a few of the goats are not interested in eating the grain anymore. I just don't want to upset their stomachs or cause any issue by completely removing it, I know this will need to be gradual if it's able to be done, but of course I want to do it the safest way possible.

Thanks in advance for any advice/suggestions!
 
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Greetings and welcome to BYH from NE TX! So glad you joined us. It's a very good question you pose, and there are a lot of ways to address it. Many folks only feed bucks and wethers grain/pelleted feed while they are growing. As adults, they are fed hay only and it's available to them 24/7. There are different qualities of hay. Some hay is very nutritious while other hay isn't. I tried multiple types of hay and blends with mine before I found what I'm using now for them that they like, maintains their condition, & less waste. I use a mix of alfalfa and orchard grass that's trucked in from Oregon. Does may or may not be OK with just hay. normally they DO need grain as a supplement when they're lactating to help them produce milk. Since your doe isn't breeding, it's a choice. As long as you do any dietary changes gradually there should be no issue. You no doubt will be monitoring them for body condition and if they start heading down hill, you can add some grain/pellets back in. Typically the medicated feed is for kids to help prevent coccidiosis. Adult goats generally have come to grips and unless stressed badly, don't have issues with coccidia. Because of the wethers though, you have to pay attention to the phosphorus to calcium levels... too much PH can cause urinary calculi. A calcium to phosphorus ratio of 2-4 to 1 in feed and minerals is essential. AC (ammonium chloride) added to minerals and some feeds will help prevent issues as well. Anyway, there are a lot of goat folks here. and,

There's a wealth of info, knowledge and experience shared in the multitude of threads. Browse around and see what interesting stuff you can find. You'll get to "meet" folks at the same time. By all means post away when the desire strikes you, especially if you have questions (provide as much detail/info as possible and pictures truly help)... With all the great folks here, generally someone will respond in no time at all. Oh, and we all love pics, so post them anytime you feel the need! Please make yourself at home!

PLEASE put at least your general location in your profile. It could be very important if/when you ask for or offer help or advice. You know, climate issues and such. I recommend at least your state as most folks won't be able to figure out where if you put anything more specific (county, town, street, etc) by itself. Old folks like me will never remember from this post & look there first. To add it, mouse hover over Account top right and a drop down will appear. Click on Personal Details and scan down. You'll see the spot for Location. Then go to the bottom and save changes. Thanks! Hope you enjoy the site!
 

B&B Happy goats

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I also live in florida, I have found the Purina goat feed to be too much for my nigerian dwarf girls....you have wethers, and one doe....may I suggest to continue the costal hay, get the Dumore goat feed with AC...not sweet feed....regular pelleted Dumore goat, the wethers don't need much at all, the baking soda once soiled they won't use. The reason i continue to feed pellets to my goats year round in Florida is due to parasites that just happen to thrive in our climate year round... i would rathe pay to keep their bellies full , than have their noses in the grass....best.of luck to you and your goats
 

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