# Hay and goat question



## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

I am thinking of buying a foundation heard or around a doz or so goats and start up from there. I have 16 big bales of pararie grass hay. Do goats like that hay enough to grow and thrive on it. I had a few, and they detested Bermuda hay that I bought for them. Alfalfa seemed to be the only thing they would touch. I sold them when winter started, but am thinking of rebuying now while prices are hopefully the lowest they will be this year. Whats your thoughts on the hay???


----------



## goatkid (Nov 20, 2005)

My goats like grass hay. If you're wanting milk goats, you'll need to supplement the grass hay with alfalfa pellets to give them the protein and calcium they need. Boers do OK on grass, but if they have kids on them they will do better if they get alfalfa pellets as well.


----------



## DQ (Aug 4, 2006)

mine loved the bermuda I bought and good bermuda is an excellent hay for them but I went to roundbales that are probably classified as prairie with a high percentage of bermuda and they eat that down too. maybe they wouldn't eat that bermuda because of some other reason or they were accustomed to something else??poor appetite because of some other reason or something?? either way, any quality hay can form the basis of the diet for meat goats. good hay or browse, a good loose mineral and just a bit of supplementation the months around kidding time and that is likely all they would need if the goats are decently bred and healthy. the mineral is so important though and not something to skimp on or go putting out all kinds of blocks and tubs for a smorgasboard of minerals. make sure they have one good mineral option that they have to utilize for their salt craving.

wanted to add. goats are smart. if they figure out that you will feed them alfalfa if they don't dive into the grass hay then they will wait for it.


----------



## billooo2 (Nov 23, 2004)

My goats seem to like variety. I feed mostly an alfalfa mixed with some timothy. Occasionally I end up sith some coarse grass hay. They will go for that initially, if they have not had it for a while.

When I trim things like rosa multiflora, sweet corn stalks, rasberry bushes, blackberry bushes, or willow trees......they LOVE that stuff as a treat.

I feed minerals "free choice," and 2-3 times/week I give them kelp also.


----------



## hoofinitnorth (Oct 18, 2006)

Never fed bermuda hay. People with horses seem to like to feed it but Langston claims it is the least palatable for goats. Dont' know why, though. Is that the same as prairie grass?


----------



## Goatdad (Feb 25, 2009)

My goats love orchard grass. They don't leave much. I started feeding it on the recommendation of a friend that breeds fainters. I got tired of them leaving 2/3 of they alfalfa on the ground. They still get a little alfalfa from time to time. I have also heard this hay called pasture grass.


----------



## moonspinner (Jul 2, 2002)

I agree on the orchard grass. My goats leave none of it.


----------



## Kittikity (Oct 21, 2004)

Is coastal hay also a bermuda mix? My goats mostly eat coastal hay.. I got them a timothy/alfalfa mix now that they're in their last month of pregnancy.. They also have some browse with alfalfa pellets and grain in the morning..


----------



## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

I think it has to do with what they are used to. I can hardly get mine to eat anything but hay. Now they will eat grain but even this they will leave in the dish if I give them a little too much in the bowl on the stanchion. I've been trying to "hide" a bit of alfalfa pellets in the grain pile and they push it aside or eat around it. So as of yet I've been unable to feed more than a 1/8 to 1/4 cup of pellets at a time and that is the one doe that is a bit of a pig.


----------



## AnnaS (Nov 29, 2003)

Yep, a lot of it is what they are used to. My does graze native prairie-big bluestem, blue joint, switchgrass and fringed brome, with a sprinkling of lead plant, puccoon, liatris, wormwood, white and purple prairie clover, various sunflowers... I've tried planting alfalfa and timothy, but the soil is so poor and sandy that the natives do the best. My does milk very well on prairie and browse and get little hay from snow to snow. They will leave feeders full of nice alfalfa hay to go out grazing.


----------



## Tallabred (May 23, 2008)

Coastal Hay is normally Alicia grass which is very similar to bermuda. At this time of year it can also be rye hay. Pretty much if it is grown within 100 miles of the coast they will call it coastal hay. My goats get alfalfa and peanut hay. The coarse stuff that they leave behind goes to my shetlands and any small stuff goes to the chickens. No waste on this farm!


----------



## julieq (Oct 12, 2008)

We live in a heavy cow dairy area, so feed pure dairy grade alfalfa hay to our dairy goats year round as it's easy to locate. They're of course spoiled now and would starve to death before they touched grass hay. We're not certain they'd get enough protein from grass hay anyway. Even if we moved, we'd stick with alfalfa.


----------



## catdance62 (Dec 7, 2008)

in the summer ours graze/browse, but in the winter we've been feeding them Tifton 44, and they like it very well. Tifton 44 is a coastal/bermuda grass hybrid. Tifton 85 is a hybrid that is more for horses (coarser and more suited to their large teeth). I give the milking girls supplemental alfalfa pellets


----------

