How much hay should goats eat?
All goats should have hay or other forages included in their daily ration. How much hay they should eat depends upon the goat and the type of hay.
How long does a bale of hay last for goats?
I am fortunate enough to have storage for a winters supply so I start now getting it in. From May to September, all goats get hay in the morning...a flake for the boys and 2 flakes for the girls, they browse the rest of the day so a bale will last for about 6 days...when it's raining they get hay in the afternoon too.
How much does a bale of hay weigh?
Remember that each bale of hay can weigh different. I think it would help if instead of saying "one bale", add in how much that bales weighs. My bales can weigh anywhere from 40-70 pounds each depending on who baled it and what type of hay it is.
What happens if a goat doesn’t eat hay?
If the hay is low quality, moldy, or very stemy and they don’t eat it, they will suffer in their health. And a sick goat goes downhill very quickly.
How long will a bale of hay last for a goat?
A bale of hay will last 10 days for one goat The quick answer is around 10 days.
How many bales of hay should a goat have a day?
Forage can be a grass, or a legume such as alfalfa. Each goat needs about two to four pounds of hay per day (3-4% of body weight in pounds), which can be fed free choice or twice a day. If good range isn't available, dry grass forage of a horse quality is acceptable.
Will goats eat too much hay?
If your goat has bloat or scours, call the vet immediately. Goats eat hay, sweet feed, and goat food. You can graze goats, but make sure they don't eat too much grass. Goats are very curious and smart.
How many bales of hay does a goat need for winter?
6.25 animal units X 50 lbs. hay per day X 100 days = 31,250 lbs. or 15.6 tons or 625 square bales (50 lbs each).
Can goats live on just hay?
Grain – (0-10% of their diet) – Goats don't need grain to survive, in fact, they can live happily on pasture or hay, or a combination of both.
Should goats always have access to hay?
Roughage (Hay) Roughage should always be available to goats, with hay being the best form of roughage for goats. Hay should form the bulk of your goat's daily feed, making up to 40% of that feed.
How do you feed goats cheaply?
Hay. Hay is another important source of goat nutrition, especially in winter seasons. Feed your goats mold free qualified grasses based hay. You can also feed your goats weedy hay because it is very cheap and contain a large amount of necessary nutrition.
Do goats need hay at night?
Goats will need hay at night especially during cold nights because they usually munch on their hay to generate their own heat and stay warm. They also need constant access to hay during rainy nights.
How many flakes of hay does a goat need?
Goats require about two pounds of chaffhaye for every 100 pounds of body weight. A 50-pound bag of chaffhaye equals about one 90-pound hay bale. Goats also can be fed grain or grain pellets.
Do goats need hay in winter?
During the winter, goats need more energy to help maintain body temperature. They will also need roughage which can be supplied in grass, alfalfa, or mixed hay. Alfalfa hay can be a great source of both energy and protein, although care should be taken when feeding bucks and wethers because of urinary calculi.
Can goats live outside in the winter?
Most goats and sheep spend most of their time outside, but livestock that live outside may need special care when the winter weather sets in. All animals need some kind of shelter even if it is only a windbreak. They need a place where they can get out of the wind.
Do you feed goats hay in summer?
What is this? The amount of hay needed will vary depending on how large of a pasture your goats have access to but a good rule is about 5 lbs of hay per goat per day. You will use less hay in the summer than you do in the winter months if your goats have access to pasture and a lot of forage.
How much hay does a goat eat?
The quantity of hay a goat eats depends on age, breed, location, gender, climate, type of hay, the likability of hay, and health condition.
How much hay does a doe eat per day?
Let us assume a doe have 2 gestation period in a year and the first gestation starts in 45 days of summer and the second gestation starts 45 days later than the end of the first gestation period.
How long does hay last for goats?
A bale of hay will last 10 days for one goat. The quick answer is around 10 days. The specific answer involves a bit of math. This depends upon how much your goat weighs and how much the bale weighs. Generally speaking your goat should be getting 3-4% of her body weight in hay per day, let’s use 3.5%.
Why do goats need hay?
The need for hay is especially critical if your goats are being fed any concentrates, grains or pelleted. The hay will balance out the the higher energy feeds so her gut can function optimally.
Do goats eat hay?
The lighter framed goats and the slower growing goats are more likely to be able to eat only hay and do well, think Kiki or Spanish type goats. The larger bodied goats, like Boers, and fast growing goats, like young kids, needs more than hay to grow well.
Do goats need grain?
They still need a high quality diet of hay or browse, but normally do not require grain supplementation. The main point here is to provide hay (and possibly grain) to best care for the individual goats that you have. Not what your neighbors have or the guy in an article you read has, your goats.
Do goats have free choice hay?
While they have plenty of pasture to run around in, they still have access to free choice hay. Not all of the goats in this herd are small, it is a mix of goat sizes with a few donkeys in there, as well. The hay is always available, so all the goats and their donkey pals get plenty to eat.
Can you buy hay from livestock?
A word to the wise: if possible, buy hay from people with livestock. They will have made the best hay possible for their own animals and are selling the extra. In our experience, people that only raise hay to sell, not feed it as well, make poorer hay than someone with livestock does.
Is hay better than a later cutting?
Any cutting made well is better than a later cutting made poorly. for example a great first cutting will be of higher quality than a second cutting that got rained on multiple times before it could be baled. Well made first cutting hay can be super for your goats!
What happens if goats don't eat hay?
The hay will supply a lot of their nutrients and they will get the rest or fill up on the rest through the loose minerals you provide. If the hay is low quality, moldy, or very stemy and they don’t eat it, they will suffer in their health. And a sick goat goes downhill very quickly.
Why is it important to assess goats?
It is so important that an assessment on each goat be made on a regular basis to ensure that they are receiving the necessary nutrients and enough feed or maybe, they are receiving too much feed and you need to cut back on how much you’re feeding.
When is haying done in the North?
Up north, haying is done in the summer and then it’s stored for the rest of the year and it’s hard to get to or buy in the winter months. Knowing how much you need to feed your goats and getting it in a barn for the year will really make you feel quite pleased with yourself when those dark and cold days of winter sneak up on you.
Can goats get sick?
If you followed those links, you will see that goats can get sick very easily. And it all, usually, comes down to nutrition. Feeding your goats every day is really important but even more important is giving them the vitamins and minerals they really need in their diet.
Do goats need hay?
Milking goats will require a bit more care and attention and again, it will be important to really watch the health of your goats. They always need minerals out and during pregnancy, they need more hay and higher quality hay provided for them. This goat gestation calculator will help you know when your goats will kid.