My pygmy likes chicken pellets more than his goat pellets!?

[daniel-delarosa]

Should I be worried? He barely touches his pellets all day. When I go out to feed the chickens, he comes running right along with them waiting for me to toss out the feed.

 

[freemotion]

Unless he is skinny, he probably shouldn't be getting any grain, especially since he is a boy (urinary calculi is a danger with the boys fed grain without ammonium chloride) and especially not chicken feed. Can you put him in his stall while you feed the chickens?

 

[elevan]

If he's just getting a taste here and there when you toss it, I wouldn't worry. BUT, if you're regularly feeding him chicken feed then you need to stop that practice.

My pygmies run up when I toss scratch out for the chickens and they'll nibble up a little.

 

[Chaty]

Chicken feed (layer mash) is Toxic for goats, so I would lock him up when feeding chickens. Scratch grain (Milo, corn) wont hurt too much but layer has Urea in it and goats dont do to good with that.

 

[20kidsonhill]

I would be more worried about all the parasites the goat is eating off the ground by trying to get up the chicken feed. I would pen him while your chickens eat and then let him go afterwards, I am assuming the chickens eat up the feed in 15 or 20 minutes.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

Over here it's illegal to feed chicken feed to goats and other ruminants here because it contains animal material. That's how things like 'Mad cow disease' get started.

Your feed may be different but unless it's meat free I would NOT be letting him eat it.

 

[20kidsonhill]

Over here it's illegal to feed chicken feed to goats and other ruminants here because it contains animal material. That's how things like 'Mad cow disease' get started.

Your feed may be different but unless it's meat free I would NOT be letting him eat it.

good point, ruminants can not be fed feed with meat products in them. We have to sign contracts every year with our fair for the shows, saying we did not feed our sheep or goats any feeds containing meat products.

 

[20kidsonhill]

Chicken feed (layer mash) is Toxic for goats, so I would lock him up when feeding chickens. Scratch grain (Milo, corn) wont hurt too much but layer has Urea in it and goats dont do to good with that.

Good point to bring up, Goats are sensitive to feeds with Urea in them. So when feeding cattle feeds or chicken feeds you need to make sure they do not contain Urea.

 

[Livinwright Farm]

First, how old is this boy? if under 6 months, then make sure he has constant access to something like Dumor Goat Grower. It is made for feeding to growing show goats, and contains proper amounts of ammonium chloride. My boys are doing very well on it! I even occassionally give some to my little over a year old buck... more like a treat.
If he is over 6 months, then I suggest just getting him good quality hay and something special, like Manna Pro's Calf Manna or Black Oil Sunflower Seed for a small(maybe 1/8-1/4 cup) once per day for while you feed the chickens. You could also feed him peas, peanuts, kidney beans, and various other legumes, as they are high in protein which will help "beef" him up, and he will LOVE them.
Remember, Pygmies don't need a lot of feed, and all goats will gobble up chicken feed if they get the chance, but it isn't good for them at all.... unless you make your own chicken feed using vegetables, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, and various minerals.... but not many in the states do this, so make sure he can't access their feed

 

[elevan]

Legumes may be high in protein but many are also high in Phosphorus...a goat owner must be careful to know the nutritional content of ANY item that is fed to their goats and make sure that their goats are getting a balanced diet.

From Spring to Fall my pygmies get nothing extra - they are on browse only. In winter I feed hay and small quantities of grain.

When my goats run up for scratch that I throw to the chickens they are trying to catch it in the air or trying to steal the bucket from me...they get a little mad when it hits the ground because they would never touch that in short order they head back out to the field while the chickens clean it up.

It may be a good idea to confine the goat while the chickens are fed in the OP's case.