How Much Do You Feed a Goat?
Question by Keep Riding Bareback: How Much Do You Feed a Goat?
I might be getting a goat, and I don’t really know which type. Probably an ordinary farm goat, not a pygmy or anything. I will not be milking or anything either. So how much hay should I feed him/her? LIke how many flakes. Also, is it okay if I only use hay, and no grain or anything else? And which is friendlier, a male or a female?
Add your own answer in the comments!
2 Responses to How Much Do You Feed a Goat?
Leave a Reply
It depends on the size and what you’re going to be using it for.
First of all- you need at least two, they are herd animals. And a very very very good fence.
Next- Get does or wethers (castrated males), because a buck will stink, go into rut, and have some nasty behaviors you really don’t want in a pet. So get two does, two wethers, or one of each.
Feeding- if they’re growing you should give them grain. If you have wethers get grain with ammonium chloride in it, otherwise they can get urinary calculi (calcium buildup in their urinary tract) and they will die. For amounts, again depending on the individual goat, I would give a cup twice a day, give or take a little. It’s something you sort of have to figure out for yourself
After they’re fully grown, as long as they’re not pregnant or nursing, you can slowly wean them off grain if you want. Make sure they have plenty of browse (like weeds, tree leaves, non toxic bushes) and hay. They don’t graze, so don’t expect lawn mowers. For full grown, full size goats, I would give a flake or two each twice a day.
Make sure to always have loose minerals available for them- especially important for wethers since it should have ammonuim chloride in it.
Clean fresh water at all times, good hay, plenty of browse, loose mineral, and a little grain if you want.
Make sure you know how to trim hooves and administer dewormer, and give shots if needed.
If you’re only getting a pet you can have any breed you want, dairy, meat, fiber, doesn’t matter. Dairy goats only give milk if you breed them.
The gender doesn’t matter, though honestly my wether is sweeter than both my does. I prefer castrated boys as pets, they’re less hormonal. As long as it’s been raised right and treated nicely it should be a good goat.
Like the other answer says, fiasco farms is a great site. I also highly reccomend http://www.backyardherds.com it’s a farm animal forum that has really helped me out a lot over the years
Patch
December 28, 2012 at 4:30 pm
Goats are VERY friendly it doesn’t matter what sex it is. Now you really need to think this through. They are socail creatures and they will need a buddy so will you be breeding goats? If you will be and you don’t want to milk that doesn’t leave you with many options. Kiko’s Boer’s, and Angora’s. Angora’s need to be shorn twice a year, and they need their horns. Boer’s and Kiko’s are meat breeds, and Kiko’s are parasite resistant. Now if you don’t want to breed you need either two does, two wethers, or a doe and a wether (a wether is a castrated goat) Does cost anywhere from $ 150-$ 1,000 Wethers are usually $ 75wethers are great but they are at a high risk of a Urinary Calculi which is where little stones get stuck in his urinary track which makes it almost impossible to pee. It is a very risky and exspensive surgery. (my wether had to be put down after his 4th Urinary Calculi Surgery) also you’ll need to clip their hooves every few months and deworm them when they need it. feeding all depends on where you live. If you have a pasture with lots of clover, and grass they are fine and won’t need hay till winter. Dairy goats or pregnant animals should get grain to keep their condition score up. You will want to get a goat mineral block and salt block for them too. They are a lot more than “just a farm goat” and need a lot of care and attention. Go to http://www.fiascofarms.com for more great info on Goats and their care!
Natalia
December 28, 2012 at 4:48 pm