Hay

[honeyb12]

Hello, I am new to all this and feel so stupid I am hoping like everything else this will eventually become second nature to me. . Question about hay- can my goats eat t/a mix or is coastal fine? And some one told me that it is ok for goats eat hay even if it has a little mold on it. I really dont believe this and dont want to feed any of my animals anything with mold on it. ( I wouldnt eat it). Also, wondering about peanut hay and beet pulp for goats. Anyways any advice or instruction would be very helpful. Thank you.

 

[Chaty]

Hello,
No question is stupid. That is how you learn. Yes goats can eat almost any type of hay except moldy hay, It will make them sick and eventually kill them. Sometimes very fast. I dont feed moldy hay to anyone. I feed Prairie, Coastal, Brome, Alfalfa {when I can find it} Native all except corn stalk hay {not much nutrition} It basically depends on what type they will eat. It wont take long till you figure it all out, and then they will throw you a curve. We never stop learning about goats. Good luck and ask away, most here will try to help...

 

[elevan]

Mold is VERY bad!! For some reason people who don't know better get it into their heads that you can feed a goat anything! Argh!

Coastal and peanut hay - I've seen members here post that they use it. It's not available where I'm at so I don't know anything about it. I use a clover / orchard grass / alfalfa blended hay.

Beet pulp is good to slow them down when eating and to build condition on them. Most people soak it prior to feeding it.

 

[honeyb12]

Wow!!! Thanks guys! I really appreciate all the help I can get. And your right about people thinking theycan eat anything . Can anyone tell me what a good worm regumine(sp?) might be. How often and what kind is best?

 

[elevan]

Wow!!! Thanks guys! I really appreciate all the help I can get. And your right about people thinking theycan eat anything . Can anyone tell me what a good worm regumine(sp?) might be. How often and what kind is best?

On deworming: http://www.backyardherds.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2607-parasite-mgmt

 

[Livinwright Farm]

Wow!!! Thanks guys! I really appreciate all the help I can get. And your right about people thinking theycan eat anything . Can anyone tell me what a good worm regumine(sp?) might be. How often and what kind is best?

For the most part, unless a specific issue crops up where we have to use Ivermectin, Safeguard, etc, we give our goats constant access to natural dewormers: Pine, Hemlock, and Spruce branches. So far, all fecals have come back clean... so we swear by them.

 

[simplynewt]

Good to know on the Pine as a natural dewormer.

Right now I am dealing with an issue where my girls are wanting the grain more than the Hay. I have purchased some Coastal and they have been more inclined to continue browsing and bugging me for grain then eating the bale I have out for them in a BRAND NEW hay feeder.

I imagine when all the browse is gone and I limit the amount of grain I am giving them, they will start eating the hay that has been there all along.