Best Food For Goats In Winter

Pregnant does would have a grass alfalfa mix.

Best food for goats in winter. When hay is not available due to the cold constraints feed your goat grain but in a greater quantity than usual. Too much of anything isn t good for them. Just be aware that snacks are just that. It isn t always an option to have a field sit unused for winter grazing but if you have the land it can help save you money on winter feed.

Stored hay may be alright for most situations but when not stored correctly can lead to sick animals from the mold that can grow on hay. Perennial grasses such as timothy tall fescue and bluegrass have been traditionally used for stockpile grazing 2. The extra food helped her regulate her body. I noticed my other goat shivering on our first chilly morning and so i increased her grain ration.

My goats get a high quality grass hay year round. Make sure your goats get ample food so that their body temperature is maintained. The easiest way to support that is to make sure they have enough food to keep their rumen active and to support their increased caloric needs. They could have also had a problem with copper deficiency if they were does.

Additionally grazing your goats on the pasture spreading manure can save you the time of having to manure in the spring. Grass hay is a better option than grain because it keeps the goats warmer. Staying warm in the winter will require extra energy stores from your animals. A goat will need about two to four pounds of hay per day without taking into account what they might forage on the pasture.

Hay is the main source of nutrients for goats apart from their range. For goats hay is the main source of nutrients apart from the food they get from the pasture and it s what they eat the most during the winter when they can t go outside. Only milkers get grain. It is basically at your discretion what you want to try.

Winter is always tough not only on our goats and other livestock but our pocketbooks as well for the extra feed we have to get to supplement feeding. Wethers are fine with just a good grass hay. Here s a link to my free copper course. One of my goats is very fat and she had no trouble at all staying warm.

Foods like fruits dried fruits veggies graham crackers cheerios cheetos and even corn chips. At nights keep spare hay in the shelter for the goats.