Goats Refuse Hay

[GoatieMama]

My first winter with goats. I have 3 NDs about 7 months old. Two does, 1 wether. Forage is gone & the only thing they will eat is Goat Chow. Beautiful, fluffy winter coats, so they’re very healthy. They have mineral & baking soda available 24/7, but they refuse to eat hay or alfalfa. Suggestions?

 

[Latestarter]

Greetings and welcome to BYH from NE TX! So glad you (finally) joined us. They should be eating roughage by now and they really need it as well for rumen health. I would suggest backing off the pellet feed slowly while leaving them access to the hay 24/7. My goats are very picky and I tried several types of hay before I finally found one they like and will eat. I now use a mix of orchard grass and alfalfa. 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!

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[GoatieMama]

Thank you for the feedback. I’m in Orrgon & they had roughage all summer & fall. They’ve been offered hay since summer, but refuse it. I’ll cut back on the Goat Chow to try & force the hay. Just didn’t want them to get thin, especially in winter.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

How much feed are you giving them? What type of hay are you giving?

I personally would continue giving the feed. A 7 month old kid is at a critical point of growth. You don’t want to stall their growth. I also wouldn’t cut out the one consistent thing they have in their diet.

Often times it’s matter of finding what they like. Our goats hate timothy hay and won’t touch it. The love orchard grass hay though. They like alfalfa, but only if it isn’t stemmy.
We don’t feed fescue. My neighbor’s cattle won’t touch orchard grass hay.

Is your hay dusty or stemmy? Is the hay in a feeder or on the ground?