New to goats and looking for info

[FarmerwannaB]

Hi everyone! I have spent hours on this site and others reading up on goats care and feeding. I am planning on getting Nigerian Dwarf goats soon. I live in a suburband neighborhood (already checked laws, I'm good) and don't have pastures for them to roam. I have learned that there are many different feed requirements based on what 'stage' goats I have. I am thinking of getting two doelings and breeding next fall so I can have milk, OR one doeling and one wether, OR possibly a doe in milk and her doeling and/or wether. There are so many choices and I'm not positive on what I am getting yet. I guess it depends on what is needed to feed them. What are the different feeding requirements for these different 'groupings'. And, if they are different for a doe in milk than a wether, how do I keep them from eating each others feed? I'm sorry so many questions, I am trying to learn as much as possible so I feel more prepared when we finally bring goats home. ANY advice you can give is very much appreciated. Thank you in advance!!

 

[Mea]

Hi everyone! I have spent hours on this site and others reading up on goats care and feeding. I am planning on getting Nigerian Dwarf goats soon. I live in a suburband neighborhood (already checked laws, I'm good) and don't have pastures for them to roam. I have learned that there are many different feed requirements based on what 'stage' goats I have. I am thinking of getting two doelings and breeding next fall so I can have milk, OR one doeling and one wether, OR possibly a doe in milk and her doeling and/or wether. There are so many choices and I'm not positive on what I am getting yet. I guess it depends on what is needed to feed them. What are the different feeding requirements for these different 'groupings'. And, if they are different for a doe in milk than a wether, how do I keep them from eating each others feed? I'm sorry so many questions, I am trying to learn as much as possible so I feel more prepared when we finally bring goats home. ANY advice you can give is very much appreciated. Thank you in advance!!

A wether would not need nearly the feed as a milking doe. In fact You might even be able to keep him on straight hay. Maybe supplementing with a tiny bit of grain during extremely cold weather. Bucks and wether are especially prone to urinary stones and most grains will aggrivate that. Alot of goat ownwer will use ammonium chloride to counteract . ( hope i used the right terms... my brain is fatigued tonight :/ )

Does are usually fed according to their size and stage of lactation. A big doe giving 10 lbs of milk a day... will need a lot more grain to sustain herself And produce the milk. A small dry ( non milking) doe would need only a maintainance ration...if hay was of good enough quality.. she might not need grain either. The old saying "The eye of the master fattens his cattle" holds with goats as well. Watching them and figuring out how best to meet their needs is a big part of having them.

Good Luck.

 

[Chirpy]

The hardest scenario is a doe in milk and a wether together. A doe who is pregnant and then giving milk needs extra feed. She should be given a good quality feed/grain (I like Klassy goat but there are other good feeds) and I like to add BOSS (black oiled sunflower seeds) to that feed. Giving grain to a doe in milk and not letting other goats get to that grain is easy --- it's always given to her while she's on the milk stand and not in the stall. You will also get higher production by feeding your milk doe straight alfalfa hay. You don't want a wether having access to the alfalfa or the feed so you will need to feed them separately.

A wether should be on just good grass hay. Some alfalfa mixed in may be ok but you don't want much with it. I would only give a wether grain as a very occasional treat. The threat of UC is very real with male goats and feeding them incorrectly is almost always what causes it. I loved my wether, they make wonderful pets but I found it very difficult to keep him out of the alfalfa hay when all my other goats were does in milk. Having two wethers together is a great idea for anyone not wanting to milk.

A doe who is not pregnant or lactating can also eat straight grass hay or a mix of grass/alfalfa hay. She doesn't need to be on straight alfalfa at that time nor does she need grain. Nigis have a tendency to put on weight very easily so I don't grain my Nigi girls except for the occasional treat until they are three to four months pregnant and then while they are in milk.

If you have one doe in milk and one doe that hasn't been bred - you can let them eat the same hay (alfalfa) and just feed the grain to the milk doe while she's on the milk stand so the other doe doesn't have access to it.

Make sure that you have loose minerals and baking soda available 24/7 for any goat that you have.

I encourage people to not breed their Nigi's until they are 18 months old to give their bodies a chance to more fully mature before adding the stress of babies growing in there. Many people breed before that - it's a personal decision.

 

[FarmerwannaB]

Thanks for the help! I have decided to stick with either two doelings or a doe in milk and one doeling, thus eliminating any feeding issues and eventually giving me more milk. Now to find my goats! I have several promising options and am hoping within a week or so will have them!

 

[StormyMoon]

A doe who is not pregnant or lactating can also eat straight grass hay or a mix of grass/alfalfa hay. She doesn't need to be on straight alfalfa at that time nor does she need grain. Nigis have a tendency to put on weight very easily so I don't grain my Nigi girls except for the occasional treat until they are three to four months pregnant and then while they are in milk.

If you have one doe in milk and one doe that hasn't been bred - you can let them eat the same hay (alfalfa) and just feed the grain to the milk doe while she's on the milk stand so the other doe doesn't have access to it.

Make sure that you have loose minerals and baking soda available 24/7 for any goat that you have.

Just curious not trying to hijack the post.......I am just trying to understand what is being said.

So is it safe to say that any doe like mine who is a nubian/alpine that has trouble gaining weight can be on grain? As long as it is a moderate amount say a cup a day ? She has been wormed but I don't like seeing her look unhealthy skinny......when I try to buy hay here in texas they keep telling me with the heat I shouldn't buy hay as long as she has plenty of browse and grass, and as long as she is not preg. Or is this wrong? Its pellet feed mixed with grain.

 

[ksalvagno]

My Alpine/Nubian mix gets 5 measuring cups of feed twice a day when I milk her. She was 95 pounds when I got her and she is up to 117 pounds now. Trying to get weight on her while in milk was a challenge. Also, I always have hay out for our goats. They may not eat a lot but there are days when they go through quite a bit.

I would weigh her and see how much your goat weighs. I found out that an Alpine goat should be at least 125-135 pounds and Nubians are about the same. So my goat coming in at 95 was pretty far underweight.

 

[Chirpy]

StormyMoon asked:

So is it safe to say that any doe like mine who is a nubian/alpine that has trouble gaining weight can be on grain? As long as it is a moderate amount say a cup a day ? She has been wormed but I don't like seeing her look unhealthy skinny......when I try to buy hay here in texas they keep telling me with the heat I shouldn't buy hay as long as she has plenty of browse and grass, and as long as she is not preg. Or is this wrong? Its pellet feed mixed with grain.

I may have missed it but are you milking this girl? Almost all does who are being milked look pretty thin. However, their skin won't be sagging on their frames - you'll be able to see their hip bones easily though.

If you are not milking her then I'd check as ksalvagno said to see how much she truly does weigh and start to increase her feed accordingly. If she's underweight I would give her grain/pellet feed every day - in moderation, as you don't want to put weight on to fast for an animal either. If she's on good pasture she should be fine - although good pasture to a goat has weeds, trees with leaves, etc. to forage on --- not a total grass field.

If you want to buy hay to add to her diet then do it. Give her a small flake in the morning and see if she eats it. If she gobbles it up then you want to give her a little more or give it to her morning and night.... if she eats a little or ignores it then she is getting enough from the pasture. Alfalfa hay will put weight on her better than grass hay. If you can only get grass hay then make sure it's a good quality.

If you can post a picture of her we can help with whether she is truly underweight or 'normal' for a milk goat.