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 Alfalfa hay in the am/pm just a few flakes 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.
~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 2mons-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
We feed to all the does on the property nice leafy Alfalfa, 2-3rd cut to watch Nitrate levels. The area we live in has alfalfa readily available!!!
We feed to all the does on the property nice leafy Alfalfa, 2-3rd cut to watch Nitrate levels. The area we live in has alfalfa readily available!!!
the barn cats approve! "mama kitty and jazzy"
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Hay for the bucks:
I get local grass hay or bale up pasture mix from out own pastures! 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. 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 or bale up pasture mix from out own pastures! 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. 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.