# Feeding goats bread products



## Plantman (Nov 17, 2012)

We have a day old bread outlet close to us and I can pick up huge amounts of tortillas, breads, bagels, rolls, etc. for next to nothing. Is there a limit to the amount of these I can feed my goats? They are Boers of all different ages. They have plenty of pasture and also free choice hay. Thanks in advance.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I wouldn't be feeding goats, or any ruminant , a high carb product. You will bloat them.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Just wanted to add that you might get all the bread, tortillas, etc for your chickens, other poultry or pigs though.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

I know that Vicki from dairygoatinfo.com has fed her goats stuff from the day old store. Don't know if she still does.

When we ate carbs/wheat/etc., we did feed stale items to the goats in small amounts. 

It is not the carbs in the products that is the problem, obviously, as we feed them oats, etc. It's the simple sugars that are added.

It's not going to hurt your goats to have a few treats or snacks, but I don't think it should be a significant part of their diets.


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## SilverFlame819 (Aug 24, 2010)

Yep, used to give mine tortillas and bread as treats (they LOVE them), but don't know anything about giving it out in large amounts...


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

I take out half of a bagel, or a slice of bread, or half of a hamburger bun, when I milk, and split that up, as a treat, between the doe that I'm milking and my old doe.

But I would never give bread products as any kind of a substitution for other food (such as good quality hay), if that's what the OP is thinking.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

Not as their food source but I do save the dinner rolls from the restaurant I work at & use them for Treats for our different critters like the ducks, guinnea's, peacocks & goats. I don't give them much though & only once or twice a week. 
I split 1 roll between 2 goats.


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## JustinRobinsREO (Jan 2, 2013)

We have fed our goats day old bread from our local outlet. We gave them half bread and half hay. Seemed to do fine on it. We now feed buckets of cracked wheat along with hay right now. It was super cheap at the local grainery this year, because it was swept off the floor.

A local farmer feeds his sheep during the winter on day old bread and nothing else. He mentioned he feeds five 5 gallon buckets of bread in the morning and five at night. Been doing it for years with no issues.


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## Plantman (Nov 17, 2012)

Might want to add that my pigs, goats, llamas, and chickens all range together on about 5 acres of very good coastal bermuda overseeded with clover and it has a little rye in it. I keep round bales of good quality bermuda out all the times. Only feed the bread at night after they have grazed all day. The goats won't eat much of it because they are already pretty full, but the pigs will eat as long as there is any left. I may just need to pull the pigs to a separate pen for the bread feeding if you think it will hurt them.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

Keep in mind most of those things would be adequate for the energy portion of the diet, but not much else. Honestly, if it's free, you could probably replace a good portion of the grain requirement of the diet. I'd only feed to does in the last month of gestation, lactating does, and growing kids. 

Bread in and of itself will not cause bloat. It's rapid diet change. many people feed grains to all classes of goats and the problem is rapid diet change. Start small. 

You WILL want to address other parts of nutrition. Vitamins, minerals, salts, protein - will NOT come from bread or any such products.  

And yes, feed to other livestock, which shouldn't be a problem as long as you address the same nutrition issues.


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## kittyjo (Feb 10, 2005)

we give our goats bread or tortillias or what ever the thrift store put in the animal bags but it is only a treat not a full feeding and for 12 girls one loaf or so love watching lem eat the bread and they love it too


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## FunnyRiverFarm (May 25, 2010)

I feed mine day old bread quite often. They like it and I figure it is not that much different than most prepared grain product animal feeds...probably more nutritious, in fact. You have to get them used to it like anything else, but I have not had any issues while feeding it. I can get it for $3/shopping cart full at our local Aunt Millie's Outlet store--super cheap!


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