How much does an average goat eat?
Question by Smiles: How much does an average goat eat?
I was just curious how much a goat eats each month? Like one that you would milk. I would like to own one someday(after way more research).
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4 Responses to How much does an average goat eat?
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It depends on the size of the goat. Bigger goats eat more than small ones. and you need to feed for production meaning that you have to feed enough to keep the animal healthy and producing milk. remember…what goes in the mouth will come out in the bucket
sweet_trixie
December 15, 2012 at 4:42 am
Indeed it does depend on the size. If you want a Nigerian Dwarf dairy goat they will produce about 1/3-1/2 the amount of milk as the “big girls” but they will also eat 1/3-1/2 the amount.
In my experience my goats will eat about 1 bale of alfalfa hay a month when they are not milking (usually during the winter, quite a while before they kid but they are not in milk either). When they are milking they can go up to 2 bales if they are a really heavy producer. Since they are all living together in a herd this is just an estimate.
I also feed them grain depending on how much they are milking. Usually when they are in milk they can eat as much as 4 lbs of grain a day but at least 2 lbs. When they are dry I only give them grain to keep up their health or as treats.
Growing kids get as much alfalfa as they will clean up and about 1 lb of grain a day.
I do not have a pasture so they are all fed in pens. Also this is somewhat varied depending on the animals, some animals need more feed than others. I don’t let my goats waste food though so if they have not eaten much or they have just eaten the tasty leaves off the hay and left they stem I make them finish it before I give them more. I do not have money to waste on feed that is not going to get eaten 🙂
If you are doing research on getting a dairy goat you can feel free to email me with any questions: starlet.lace@yahoo.com
Starletlace
December 15, 2012 at 5:39 am
Average would be about 5 pounds of hay per goat, per day. Goats are very wasteful creatures. You need to research keyhole feeders to build a feeder, so your goat will waste as little hay as possible.
Goats are designed to eat about 1/3 of the day, lay down and chew their cud 1/3 of the day, and sleep 1/3 of the day.
I switched my goats over to having hay at their nose 24/7, and it was much easier for me, healthier for the goats, and didn’t increase my feed bill.
I raise meat goats, and currently have over 100 goats. With the hay available 24/7 the goats eat what they want, when they want. Even low ranking goats are allowed to eat their fill.
Before, when I fed twice a day, I found they flipped a lot of hay out of the bucket, and wasted it. Once they walked on it, they were not interested in eating it.
Now that the hay is contained, and they can only get their heads in to eat it, more of the hay is actually eaten by the goats (and not wasted on the ground). In the end my feed bill did not go up at all. Added benifit is more worm control as well.
Dairy does are usually given a bit of grain when they get up into the stantion and are being milked. No more grain than they can eat during a milking session. Milking usually takes 3-5 minutes for an experienced milker (per goat).
Goats also need salt, miners (especially iodine, cobalt and copper) and selenium in most areas. I drop a molasses mineral tub in with my does starting about one month prior to kidding. It prevents ketossis. I way prefer to prevent problems, than try to cure problems.
I am also very anti corn as a grain feed (many reasons, but mostly it’s not healthy for goats). My dairy does get a mix of hard red wheat, oats, barley, and black oil sunflower seeds (whole in their shell). A drizzle of molasses for the extra vitamins, and a drizzle of canola oil for the extra fats, combind with the quality alfalfa hay, keeps my dairy does in top, sleek condition. Not too fat, and not too skinney.
~Garnet
Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years
Raising meat goats since 1999 (over 100 goats in my herd currently)
Bohemian_Garnet_Permaculturalist
December 15, 2012 at 6:26 am
the only thing i want to clarify is what starlet said….
I go through a bale a day with 3 bucks. its a 35 pound bale.. depending on your area, that makes a big difference. also the type of hay.
In my experience if you feed alfalfa, you will end up feeding less, because it is more nutritious than other types of hay. I keep my bucks in chain link kennel. with a home-made hay feeder, it is attached to the outside, and they pull it through the holes in the fence. that works well for me.. what they don’t eat ina day, i feed to the horses. also milk crates work well for me.. or hay bags (NOT NETS) for horses.. i have heard horror stories of a goat strangling itself in a bag or net and even a hayrack, and i had one almost hang itself in a hay net. so i only use crates and bags now.. i don’t use collars though.. i always say, if there is a way for a goat to kill itself, it will. You must child proof everything!
but goats are a ton of fun.
hay should be fed free choice. grain.. depends… i feed 8 pounds to 6 dry does.. but my does are about 200 pounds.. when they are in milk.. they get the 8 pounds.. plus alfalfa pellets, and as much grain as they want on the stand. while i milk.
if you have any other questions feel free to e-mail me at barehnh@aol.com
heartsnhooves
December 15, 2012 at 6:41 am