People ask us a lot on how we do things! I created this page to show how we feed, milk, take care of babies etc.
Lets start with Feed for the Girls
In the "Milker's Barn" - (these are any girls that are bred or in milk)
~ Summer months they have 2-3 wonderful pastures to rotate from that we keep irrigated in the warmer months that have: Orchard Grass, Dandelion, Kochia, unfortunately Cheat/Foxtail grass we are desperately trying to weed out, and other weeds that come in from the neighboring properties and irrigation water. We purposely every year seed with orchard grass!
~ Summer months when the girls are in milk they get Orchard Grass/alfalfa mix hay in the evenings only and grain on the milking platform which we will talk about later.
~ HOT Summer months these girls receive electrolytes in their water to replenish anything they are missing and also makes the water taste better. They have one tub full of just filtered water (we have a Well and use an RV filter at the end of the hose) and the other always has electrolytes - and the electrolyte tub is completely gone 2x day! This also keeps their milk going strong through the summer! I order a 6lb bag from Chewy.com : https://www.chewy.com/sav-caf-electrolytes-plus-multi/dp/315952
~Winter months these girls get hay fed to them morning and night when the pastures are dormant. The hay is orchard/alfalfa mix with alfalfa pellets as they approach delivery for extra needed Calcium.
~Fresh water and loose mineral at all times!
Young Does in my "yearling pen" - babies to yearlings (anyone that has not been bred yet) get the same hay as the milkers do.
~Babies 6mon-1year get this medicated grain for all the vitamins packed into this small micro pellet (love the size of the micro-pellet being so small to avoid choking) I order this from chewy.com also: https://www.chewy.com/kalmbach-feeds-start-right-young-goat/dp/244708 My babies grow so good and healthy on a small amount of this grain every day.
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MINERALS:
We purchase mineral from a local Goat Dairy in Parma, Idaho Our girls always look so good on these minerals! Coats are shiny and healthy, less and less skin issues each year and easy kiddings! Copper Bolus is only given to those that have signs of dull coat or fish tail. I like to pair this up with Kelp when the pocket book allows! These minerals are offered to every goat this on the place! |
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Hay
I like to feed Orchard grass with a mixture of alfalfa to cover calcium levels. I do not like to feed 100% alfalfa because of the waste these girls create. I like 3-4th cutting the best! Currently getting our hay from Ontario, Oregon
I like to feed Orchard grass with a mixture of alfalfa to cover calcium levels. I do not like to feed 100% alfalfa because of the waste these girls create. I like 3-4th cutting the best! Currently getting our hay from Ontario, Oregon
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the barn cats approve! "mama kitty and jazzy"
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Hay for the bucks:
I get local grass hay! Nothing fancy for the boys. Summer months they have a nice pasture to graze on. If during the winter months they need a little extra on their bones, I will pick up Timothy Hay pellets and give them a scoop full or so depending on how many bucks I am housing. The months following breeding season, our weather changes to cold pretty quickly! When the weather starts to change, I give Timothy Pellets twice a day, in the evening feeding I add some beet shreds and Purina Goat Grower that includes good vitamins and ammonium chloride.
We add ammonium chloride to loose mineral as well.
I get local grass hay! Nothing fancy for the boys. Summer months they have a nice pasture to graze on. If during the winter months they need a little extra on their bones, I will pick up Timothy Hay pellets and give them a scoop full or so depending on how many bucks I am housing. The months following breeding season, our weather changes to cold pretty quickly! When the weather starts to change, I give Timothy Pellets twice a day, in the evening feeding I add some beet shreds and Purina Goat Grower that includes good vitamins and ammonium chloride.
We add ammonium chloride to loose mineral as well.