How to Keep Goats Well-Fed

If you own goats, one of the biggest challenges you face is making sure that they are well fed. This is true whether you raise goats for meat, as a dairy herd or as pets.

Of all the advice out there on how to feed your goats, the most important is this: sudden changes can lead to big trouble. Any change to the diet of goats needs to be made gradually so that they have time to adjust.

While people often joke that they bought goats instead of a lawnmower, it is not healthy for a goat to eat only fresh grass. Goats are browsers, not grazers. They also are ruminants. This means they eat plants and digest those plants in a four-part stomach. What follows is a simple guide for goat owners who want to know what they should feed these animals.

Hay

Hay can be grass or a legume such as clover or alfalfa. Hay provides a main source of nutrients, aside from the range, for goats. Goats need about two to four pounds of hay a day. Dry grass hay is perfectly acceptable. Alfalfa hay is a popular option due to its protein, vitamin and mineral content. It also has additional calcium.

Chaffhaye

Chaffhaye is early cut alfalfa grass which is chopped and mixed with molasses and a probiotic called bacillus subtillis. The mixture is vacuum packed and the fermented hay adds beneficial bacteria. This type of feed serves as a hay alternative and is nutrient rich.

Grain feed

Grain feed or grain pellets will provide protein, vitamins and minerals for goats. Grain feed should never replace foraging and browsing and too much grain feed can cause serious health issues in goats. If grain feed is used, it is best to have a livestock nutritionist formulate it.

Minerals

Minerals should be fed individually, not in combination. They should be offered loose and as a free choice.

Scraps

Kitchen and garden scraps are enjoyed by goats—just don’t overdo it. Further, avoid eggshells and make sure that you don’t introduce foods suddenly that goats are not used to.

Finally, make sure your goats always have access to plenty of fresh water. In the winter months you will need to use some type of heater to make sure that the water doesn’t turn to ice.