I'm getting a pigmy mix goat kid. What should i start out feeding her?

Question

She's alot smaller than she should be, due to a bad owner in the past. My uncle owns her now, and is taking good care of her, but he needs money very badley and is planning on selling her.

Answer 1

Phone a farm store that sells animal feed, they should be able to help you...good luck!!

Answer 2

Since you said she is a kid, it would have helped to know if she was weaned or not. IF she is weaned, just focus on getting her to gain some weight, it sounds like she was neglected and could be ubderweight and such. Grain will pick her up as well as some nutrient products from www.carpinesupply.com

If you already have it then better. Nutri-drench is a good this to have around. Give her like a squirt everyday and she will start improving quick. There are feed supplements you can get as well. Like Goat show feed. I personally like Show Bloom. Do a search and you might have a dealer near you.

If you have nothing else for a time then good ole alfalfa hay and grain with a mineral salt block will start getting her into shape. Let her browse as well. She will love rose bushes, pine needles, fruit trees (look up what is poisonous for goats and what's not, you don't want to have a poisonous plant there and have her get into it). She will browse before she grazes meaning, she will eat all your trees before munching on the grass.

Keep a supply of hay accessable for her at all times. She will gain weight faster. If she is your only goat it will be easier to feed her. She will get all she wants and will be a happy goat. Just be careful for the 'overeating' disease. You should get her vaccinated. A cd-t shot given to her with a follow-up shot in like 2-4 weeks will get her on her way. Then all she needs is a annual booster. Look on the site I lised and it will explain the different shots you can get. The cd-t shot is a popular vaccine and another you should consider is a cocci preventative. You'll find that one on there too. Once a year for that also.

The grain needs to be like a cup a day to begin with and then go by what her eating habits are. You can increase to 2 cups a day when she is used to grain (if she isn't on it already).

The mineral block will give her other nutrients she won't get out of the other stuff. Check to see if where you live has a selenium deficiency. Selenium is important to goats....not sheep. Ask your vet, they can tell you. You might need an oral supplement, the mineral block is for minor selenium deficiencies.

Hope this helped.

Answer 3

They have grain that can be fed to a goat, I would start out with a small amount, and make sure it has a type of forage also, Like good grass hay, alfalfa, but make sure you give it small amounts to start so it wont get sick. Also give it minerals like salt.

Answer 4

go to your local Co-op or feed store and tell the you have a pigmy goat they will know exactly what you need to be feeding her

Answer 5

good old grass and let her pick what she wants to eat

Answer 6

I cannot think of any aspect of pygmy goat care that involves as much mystery and diversity as what to feed them. If you ask longtime goat breeders what they are feeding their herd, you either will get a mysterious look with a quick change of the subject, or a different opinion with each person you ask. I readily admit to changing my goats' diet numerous times over the years as I encountered new ideas, (much to the chagrin of my herd, I'm sure). In this article, I will seek to look at a feeding program logically based on the research and articles that I have read and allow you to draw your own conclusions.

Let's Start at the Very Beginning...
On the surface, what to feed your pygmy goat should be very simple. Just as humans have the four food groups (or is it the five food group pyramid...?), goats have basic parts to their diet. The general areas of a goat's basic diet are hay, grain, fresh water, salt and minerals. In order to allow a goat to develop to its full genetic potential they must have a good diet. Both undernourished and obese goats may have health problems. So let's look at the basic parts.

Hay
It is important to select good quality hay to maximize its nutritional content. Hay should have a nice green color and be cut before the plants bloom. Hay should be fed free choice in feeders that keep it off the ground. The following is a chart listing the digestible protein, calcium, and phosphorus contents of various types of hay (1):

Hay


Digestible Protein %


Calcium %


Phosphorus %

Alfalfa


10.5


1.47


0.24

Clover (red)


7.1


1.35


0.19

Oat


4.9


0.21


0.19

Timothy


2.9


0.23


0.20

The "cheapest" hay is not necessarily the lowest cost per ton. You must factor in the nutritional content of what you are buying. Legume hay (alfalfa, clover, etc.) has a higher protein, calcium, and phosphorus content, which are necessary for developing muscle and bone. I feed my goats a measured amount of Eastern Washington alfalfa (3rd or 4th cutting for leafier, finer-stemmed hay) and good quality grass hay. Last year I was even able to find organic hay.

Grain
Grain or grain mixes supply added protein, vitamins, and minerals. There are a variety of grain mixes formulated specifically for goats such as Land o' Lakes Dairy Goat Feed, Purina Goat Chow, etc. These mixes contain 16% protein and a variety of added vitamins and minerals. NOTE: Recently Land O' Lakes switched their dairy goat feed to include 'meat meal'. Not only should goats not eat meat, but 'meat meal' does not indicate which animal it came from--dead dogs and cats from shelters? sheep heads infected with scrapie? Check the label and do not feed any ration that includes animal origins. I switched to a local company's (TopNotch of Hillsboro, Oregon) dairy goat ration and am quite pleased with the results. Dry COB is corn, oats, and barley without molasses. It contains about 9% protein and no added vitamins and minerals.

Grain may or may not be necessary as part of your goat's diet, depending on whether you are feeding a buck, wether, or doe. Bucks and wethers are susceptible to urinary problems and a low protein grain ration is recommended. Bucks, however, need an adequate amount of grain to maintain sperm production and to keep in good weight. Wethers do fine on no grain at all if fed good quality alfalfa or grass hay (it is their owners who seem to need to give them that daily grain ration!).

A doe's needs vary depending on whether she is dry, pregnant, or lactating. Common sense rules here. Does need adequate protein and nutrients for fetal development and milk production, but too much of a good thing may cause obesity which can lead to kidding problems and/or a variety of health problems. DO NOT OVERFEED YOUR DOES! Here is where you need to observe your herd and whether they are gaining or losing weight with the ration you are giving them. At this moment in time, my does are getting 1 cup of dairy goat feed per day, which is their normal ration. When they are lactating, I feed them 4 times as much divided into two feedings per day. My bucks are given 2 1/2 cups of dairy goat feed per day. Their greater activity level means they require more feed to keep them in good weight, especially during breeding season.

Salt and Minerals
Salt and minerals are a vital part of your goat's diet and found in a variety of sources including hay, pasture, grain, soil, and supplements. Bones are composed of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P), therefore, Ca and P must be in a goat's diet in adequate amounts for it to have good bone and muscle development. Even a mature animal must have adequate Ca and P to maintain bone structure. The ratio of Ca and P is quite important-it should be 2:1 in a goat's diet. This ratio is not only important for bone development, but also aids in urinary tract health in male goats.

Salt and minerals are available in block form through the feed store and should be available at all times. I also give an additional supplement called Capri Min #2 (1/2 Tb) to my goats daily sprinkled on their feed. It is formulated especially for goats and my goats absolutely love it. (A word of warning: be very careful with feeding supplements to goats that have been developed for horses and cattle. They generally contain much higher levels of copper than goats can metabolize and toxic levels can build up in a goat's body, resulting in poisoning.)

We live in an area that is selenium (Se) deficient, thus selenium must be added to a goat's intake to prevent white muscle disease and possibly increase fertility. Usually Se is given by an injection of vitamin E and Se (BoSe) at birth and twice a year after that. It is also present in dairy goat feed, trace mineral blocks, and most mineral supplements. Rather than the BoSe shots, I give a Vitamin E/Selenium suppliment daily to my goats.

Water
Enough cannot be said about the importance of having fresh clean water available at all times. It is needed for proper rumen function and urinary health in bucks and wethers. A 50 pound goat drinks about a half a gallon of water a day, depending on the weather. During cold weather, goats appreciate warm water to help maintain their body temperature (this is the true test of how much you spoil your goats!). Note: If you have goat kids present, make sure your water is in shallow containers-kids can drown easily in 5 gallon water buckets.

Beyond the basics...
While lactating and after weaning, I also give my does a supplement called ShowBloom. It is a vitamin/protein supplement containing 30% protein (so don't go overboard in feeding it-I give 1 Tb/day), vitamins A, D, E, C, and the B vitamins, and I really notice a difference in their coats and overall appearance. In addition to the ShowBloom and Capri Min #2 supplement that I mentioned above, you can give sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) as a free choice supplement. Soda helps the rumen maintain its ph balance. It also helps bucks and wethers keep their urine more alkaline and thus helps avoid urinary tract problems.

Bibliography
1. Colby, Brian, et. al. Dairy goats-breeding/feeding/management. American Goat Society. 1972.
2. Kinne, Maxine. Pygmy goat care and management. 1987.
3. National Pygmy Goat Association. Best of Memo I. 1982.
4. National Pygmy Goat Association. Best of Memo II. 1989.

Sources
Caprine Supply (Capri Min #2)
P.O. Box Y
33001 West 83rd St.
DeSoto KS 66018
[phone]

Nasco (ShowBloom)
P.O. Box 3837
Modesto CA 95352-3837
1-800-558-9595



Pioneer Meadows Pygmy Goats
18383 S Grasle Rd
Oregon City OR 97045
[phone]
[e-mail]