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Feeding a goat

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  • 30-07-2020 11:43am
    #1
    KatyMac
    Registered Users Posts: 1,209 ✭✭✭


    I have hand reared a kid goat and have tried her on everything I can think of - oats, lamb crunch, barley, anything I'd to hand and she won't eat anything. It;s grand now when there is plenty of picking for her around the ditches but what do lads/lassies feed their goats during the winter? Will she be ok on just a bit of hay/straw. She is not a 'fancy' goat so I'm not feeding her to produce milk or meat, she is just a pet.


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    #2
    arctictree
    Registered Users Posts: 4,285 ✭✭✭arctictree


    KatyMac wrote: »
    I have hand reared a kid goat and have tried her on everything I can think of - oats, lamb crunch, barley, anything I'd to hand and she won't eat anything. It;s grand now when there is plenty of picking for her around the ditches but what do lads/lassies feed their goats during the winter? Will she be ok on just a bit of hay/straw. She is not a 'fancy' goat so I'm not feeding her to produce milk or meat, she is just a pet.

    We had a few kids goats born in early 2019. Fed them in the barn from October to March on hay only. Had some bad bales that the sheep wouldn't eat and they munched through them. Have them out on the bog now for the summer and they are loving it!


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    #3
    niallb
    Registered Users Posts: 2,715 ✭✭✭niallb


    Ours loves lamb creep in the winter, but if you've only the one, some kitchen waste would be a help.

    From my small experience, they're not always as omniverous as I was led to believe. Very fussy eaters if there's lots of choice. You'll probably just have to hit trial and error until you find out what she likes. Our guy is 5 now, and he's pretty self sufficient out in the paddock so long as he gets a bit of attention.
    He will eat parsnip peelings, but not carrots and he eats broccoli, but not apples. The absolute favourite is dock leaves (and young fruit trees - wood and all).
    He has been known to eat roses too, and some of the herbs in our beds,
    but he doesn't make a permanent habit of it.

    We got ours unexpectedly - just minding for a friend for a little while since we had some space. That was about 4 years ago now and he's well settled.
    They're great company when you're pottering around outside!


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    #4
    williamss
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭williamss


    There are many goat foods on the market. You can order with delivery. There are many online stores.


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    #5
    JJayoo
    Registered Users Posts: 6,561 ✭✭✭JJayoo


    You will have to teach the goat to eat the concentrate. At the moment I am teaching ewe lambs to eat, I put a bunch in the shed and give them concentrate and hay. They need to get a bit hungry to start picking, and you need to renew the concentrate regularly as one dope is bound to walk/sit/piss in the food. After a few days they will be in on it.

    So same with your goat

    If the goat is tame and you can handle it easily, put a pinch of concentrate into it's mouth so it will get the taste.


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