Cereal grain straw is more nutritious than the straw we use for bedding because, during harvest, the farmers leave the grain seeds still intact. We like to test a bale at home prior to purchasing large amounts for our animals. Root-knot nematode suppression. The process of cutting, raking, drying, and then baling hay is important to know so you better understand which questions to ask before purchasing hay for your goats. My goats LOVED Oat/Orchard. Alfalfa cut at full bloom drops to 15.5 percent crude protein, compared to 6.9 percent for late bloom timothy and 7.6 percent for late bloom orchard grass. Yes. It is our preferred method of feeding alfalfa to our herd. And your hungry goats! The grass is more personal preference and depends what would grow best in your area. You're awesome for doing it! The main difference between hay and straw is that hay is comprised of legumes while straw is a byproduct created during the grain harvest. It is perfect for grazing or baleage production and cover cropping but is challenging to produce dry hay. Remember, goats are herbivores! Thank you for this information. Lets break down a goats diet so you can see just why we want to focus on hay from the very beginning. Highly palatable and digestible. Yes, Goats can eat oat and will always devour it anytime you serve them with it. Peanut hay is rare hay but is one of the best hay for goats. Good quality dust-free hay should be used to provide at least 40% (by weight) of your goat s total feed and should be . Moderate fall and tremendous spring production. This goat lover has developed a few different baked treats for goats that use oats as their main ingredient. I asked the difference and he said basically height/size of the clover. This cut of hay will be more expensive because of the quality and nutritional levels found in the bales. I'm sure there's more but that's what came up first. These cuttings are too rich (too many nutrients per pound, with very little fiber) for most horses, unless you are just adding a little bit of it to the diet of a young orphan foal or an older horse that has poor teeth and cannot chew stemmy hay. Alfalfa pellets are a great option to offer to your goats that will give them a good supply of protein. Seeding depth remains at to inch. Just saying. If your goats have no opportunity to forage for themselves, theyneed to eat around 3-4% of their body weight in hayevery day. One came in at 34lb and the second bale was 37lb. Combining elements of both the above will keep your goats in excellent health. Quality Registered Nigerian Dwarfs & Natural Goats Milk Soaps, Bad News Boers Farm: Breeding Better Boer Goats, Capriola's ~ ADGA and AGS Nigerian Dwarf Goats, Handcrafted Goat's Milk Soap, Lotion, & Body B'Udder, http://www.dollysacre.com/breedingplans.htm. These usually include molasses or honey, apples, carrots, raisins, and rolled or cracked oats. Yes, goats can eat oat hay. These nugget-shaped treats pop in your goat's mouth and are a healthy and nourishing treat. Also, the best time to feed oat hay to goats is when its free and still green as opposed to waiting for the seed heads to mature. It is an extremely small mite (1/125 inch long), elongate, and whitish to translucent in color. Offer them fresh oat hay, and they wont even sniff it! Contrary to the old saying, a goat will eat anything even a tin can, most goats are in fact, picky eaters. Oat hay is also higher in lignin than other grasses so it takes longer to digest and ferment in the rumen which will supply less energy per unit of weight. However, the nutritional values in the hay may be low and it is advisable to feed oat hay . ], My Straw Bale Gardening Experiment [With Photos! This will include cattle, horses, goats, llamas, alpacas, and sheep. Leaf-to-stem ratio is the most important criterion in judging nutrient quality in an alfalfa plant. There are many options depending on where you live and what feed choices you have available. When feeding oats to a lactating doe, you can feed up to two cups daily. Good hay will be uniformly green and sweet smelling, with no brown spots or moldy portions. If it was rained on after it was cut, baled too green or too wet or too dry, it may not be safe to feed. Because of this, it's a great option for feeding milking goats and those who are pregnant. Listeriosis is a potentially fatal infectious disease that causes encephalitis, blood poisoning, and abortion. Most we have is lots of rain and cold. High Quality Grass Hay - free choice, secondary to foraging. An overwintering oat that has a wide leaf and dense crown, Cosaque has superb weed suppression. Grains or pelleted grain mix is a good option for feeding your goats. A goat's main nutrition should come from hay, at around 50% of their daily intake. A mandatory part of a diet is good hay. If they can't forage a pasture, hay will need to make up around 75% of their diet. To maximize utilization, combine oats with alfalfa in your goat 's feed. First cut hay also has the most weeds and the lowest protein of the common cuts. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Oats are good for goats because they contain an adequate amount of phosphorus which helps the goats to process carbohydrates in the body system of the goats. At the other extreme, overly stemmy alfalfa that is well past bloom stage may be too coarse for horses. https://standleeforage.com/standlee-barn-bulletin/what-do-goats-eat, https://standleeforage.com/standlee-barn-bulletin/feeding-goats-what-you-need-to-know-about-forages-and-winter, https://www.mannapro.com/homestead/breaking-down-the-goat-diet, https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/cms/life-out-here/the-barn/animal-medication-for-goats/nutritional-requirements-for-goats, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/oats/, https://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/easy-ways-enjoy-whole-grains/grain-month-calendar/oats-january-grain-month/types, https://www.dairygoatinfo.com/threads/whole-or-rolled-oats.17748/, https://www.boergoatprofitsguide.com/what-do-you-feed-a-goat/, https://cassiescaprines.weebly.com/goat-treat-recipes.html, 9 Tips for Keeping Your Ducks Safe From Predators, https://www.newheritagefeedco.com/feed-a-goat/, https://www.sugarandspice.farm/blog-1/2019/12/16/apple-goat-treats. With a bachelors degree in English and a masters degree in special education, she has been writing professionally since 2017, but only recently left the world of teaching to pursue writing and farming full time. Coarse, thick-stemmed hay (overly mature) has more fiber and less nutrition than immature, leafy hay with finer stems. It is also important to consult a good variety of sources when deciding on which treats to feed. Rolled oats are sometimes the preferred form in which to feed oats, as their nutrients are more easily digested by goats. The most favorable hay are clover, alfalfa, soybean, lespedeza, and vetch. Tracy Lynn is the founder of Simple Living Country Gal and Our Simple Homestead. I've seen it for sale around here but not a whole lot of it. Required fields are marked *. In nature, goats would have a hard time finding a mix of oats, corn, soybeans and sweet molasses. Whole, steel-cut, and rolled are some of the most common ways oats can be fed to goats. When I first starting raising goats I thought all hay was alike. Oat hay is a very good women's remedy. Nothing is bought unless Nicky fails to MacGyver it out of scraps of broken bridles, baling twine, or wire. The answer is a resounding yes! The trick is to know the process of how hay is grown, what all goes into it and, and finally the best way to store it that will keep its value. Vegetables can help to add variety to the diet and provide additional sources of nutrients. For kids, half a cup a day should be enough. There are almost as many different hay varieties as there are goat breeds thats why finding the best hay is something of a challenge. My goats arent that keen, and while theyll nibble away at the oats, theyll leave the stalks untouched. But barley may also be difficult for goats to digest. It was rewarding but also hard work, and as your article illustrates, not simple at all. Protein - According to Drs. In addition, it can prevent milk fever or goat ketosis in lactating does. These can range from small squares to large round bales and the prices of the bale will depend, of course, on size but also on the quality. So grab yourself a cup of coffee and maybe a pen and paper for a few notes and lets dive in. Hay is basically a grass that is cut green, then dried and baled. If a handful of hay bends easily in your hand, its fiber content is relatively low and it will be more digestible than if the stems snap like twigs. Yes, it can seem overwhelming at first especially when there are so many aspects to what makes a good quality bale of hay. Some years the alfalfa will do better, some years the grass or clover. Changing from grass hay to alfalfa all at once can change the environment in the rumen of cattle, sheep and goats and in the cecum of a horse (because of the shift in pHthe acid/base balance). Oat hay is a very good women's remedy. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Hay falls into several categories: grass, legume, mixed (grass and legume) and cereal grain straw (such as oat hay). Goats are versatile creatures often used for milk, meat, or fiber production. they're doing pretty good eating it all up but I don't like this timothy, too course. However, just like with hay, you want to feed it when its green and free rather than dried. Oats should be fed to goats along with hay and other types of grains. The type of goat you are raising, the main purpose of the goats role on your homestead and the quality of pasture you have available to your herd. Bailing is simply the process of cutting, raking, combining, and stacking the hay into sections. Oats contain many components related to health benefits in humans, including their soluble fiber which slows down digestion and keeps us satiated longer, thus reducing appetite. Usually, machines, called balers, will do the baling. (Contact your local extension agent about testing. To know if it is good go by the smell. [9 Super Easy Pro Tips]. He indicated 900+-. There are so many things to know about hay from growing it to cutting or mowing it down. Even though they are two different things they are commonly referred to interchangeably. In general, however, the best feed for goats consists of a balance of hay, pellets, and vegetables.Hay provides essential nutrients like fiber and protein, while pellets offer concentrated sources of energy and vitamins. However, the nutritional values in the hay may be low and it is advisable to feed oat hay together with grass or legume hays for optimal nutrition. Nothing is simpler than hopping in my car and picking up dinner at the supermarket. Hay is also on the goat's feed list for cold or rainy days. These are both great options for supplementing a goat's diet, but they cannot totally take the place of baled hay, pasture and browse. Factors that can affect nutritional value include plant species in the hay, fertility of soil, harvesting methods (whether the hay was conditioned or crimped to dry faster and lose less leaves and nutrients during drying) and curing time. Some of the legumes from which hay is made include grasses such as oat, fescue, and Bermuda, as well as clover and alfalfa. For pregnant or lactating mares, or young growing horses, some legume hay added to the diet provides the additional protein and higher levels of other nutrients needed. As long as it's free of dust and mold and harvests early, it makes an excellent fodder. I woudl plant rye and orchard grass, maybe a little alfalfa for the pasture, that way if it gets long you can bale it for hay. 1 cup Organic/Non-GMO Corn. Oat strip plots on July 11, 2016. As long as oats are included as part of a versatile, balanced diet, goats can eat oats. Knowing the main purpose of your goats will better help you to choose the best hay and feed. Oats and peas can be planted as a nurse crop for alfalfa or other hay seedings, or grown alone. Goats bred for milking should consume more hay than others do, with experts recommending feeding milking goats up to 9 pounds of hay per day. When fed on dry, well-sodded, snow covered or frozen ground, however, sheep will clean up fine hay better than cattle because of their smaller mouths and ability to pick up the leaves. The palatability of orchardgrass is good and goats readily consume it. 6. If you want to supplement your goat's diet with minerals and vitamins, then this 8-pound bag of goat minerals is an excellent starting point. In northern parts of the United States, timothy is widely grown because it tolerates cold weather and grows early in spring. Rain can ruin baled hay by causing mold. 12 pounds of fodder=10% dry matter. Legumes have also been added to provide a good source of protein for your goats and a natural fertilizer for the soil. Average orchardgrass-alfalfa mix hay will contain roughly 14-17% crude protein and 53-56% TDN on a dry matter basis. She spends her time rearing goats, riding (rearing) horses, and meticulously growing her own chicken food. As a result, oats can impact goat milk production significantly. 3. Goats need good-quality grass hay thats free from debris and mold. I am currently feeding an Orchard//Alfalfa. Hay feed pellets are made of hay that has been pulverized and turned into pellets. A forum community dedicated to goat owners and enthusiasts. When the moon is full and those stars aligned and your garden is just bursting with an amazing rainbow of produce, that is when it is all worth it. [Whole Rolled, Steel-Cut or Quick Oats? If cut too quickly these bales will not include the full plant, meaning the stem and leaves, which may have your animals missing out on important nutrients. cup Organic Pumpkin Seeds. By providing additional energy, the doe can maintain her milk production levels. But dont let this scare you, I just want you to be aware before you begin so you can better understand how to support your goats in the healthiest way. . With hay prices soaring, its tempting to look for cheaper alternatives. To establish which hay is the best for your goats, look for the following: The higher the leaf content, the more nutritious the hay. Thats why we want to share a list of the top questions for any farmer with hungry goats to feed. some years i will get a two lb bag of clover and mix that in with it. Regardless of storage time, you will need a way to keep it from getting wet or drawing moisture from the ground. Unless you are buying directly out of the field after baling, try to buy hay that has been protected from weather by a tarp or hay shed. For adult goats, a cup of oats a day should be sufficient to supplement their nutrition. SLCG PRO TIP: If your goat has a large belly that is hard to the touch that could be the sign of bloat, a deadly condition in goats where gas becomes trapped in the rumen. 13 Stunning Cascading Plants for Retaining Walls and Hanging Baskets. The goat treats are oatmeal and have a licorice flavor. During the cold winter months when pastures contain scant forage, hay is the typical diet for cattle, horses, sheep and goats. I weigh 2 single bales when I returned home. Allow 25 - 30 bales (of small rectangular) bales per adult goat per year. and so is an extremely important part of a goat s diet. Pregnant does, does in-milk, and fiber goats may be fed up to two cups of oats a day. Second cut hay is next and has a higher protein and nutritional value than first cut and also tends to contain fewer weeds. Use your nose as well as your eyes. For sure!). Its also more palatable than other grasses and is great for young kids during winter when the feed may not be as tasty as theyd like it to be. It is also a bit hard to come by since the amount of second cut hay all depends on the weather. Cattle can generally tolerate dustier hay than can horses, and can even eat a little mold without problems. Besides adding fun and variety to their meals, oat-based treats can be a good way to administer a remedy or medication they may not otherwise take. . SLCG PRO TIP: Hay must be kept out of the rain to deter spoiling of the hay bale. Oat hay is good for horses who are underweight, growing, sensitive to carbohydrates, have gastric ulcer, breeding, lactating or late in pregnancy. Straw Home --- Raising Animals --- Goats --- Can Goats Eat Oats? We would love to hear about your experience! Though grains are not a natural source of food for goats in a wild environment, goat farmers and keepers have learned that grains are a good source of energy and nutrition for goats, especially for does in-milk, pregnant goats, and fiber goats. Good-quality hay should be soft to the touch and flake easily. 1. Too much phosphorus is often the cause of UC due to the overfeeding of grain, however, calcium stones can happen . Some of the grains goats can eat include corn, soybean, and oats. Oat hay is good for bunnies, including wearing down bunny teeth. Be sure these cuts still include the maturity of growth so you are getting the best quality and protein for your goats. I tried growing my own food for a time. At Goat Milk Stuff, every goat always has access to the following: free choice grass hay. For all goats, ensure providing feed at a particular time and in a particular quantity . Fresh, green hay is more nutritious, palatable, and easier to digest than hay that sat around for six months or more. Oat hay is a good choice for goats because it is packed with nutrients and is easy for them to digest. 2 pounds of grain=95% dry matter. You expect to find hay in any bale you buy, but Ive found its often mixed up with a variety of other things. Immature grass hay or leafy alfalfa is usually the best feed for sheep. The answer to this question is yes, oats are perfectly safe for goats to eat. This may require changing water a couple of times a day . The Best Hay for Goats in Their Heyday. The cover crop grows faster then the seeding(referring to any grass seeds you will be planting) so as the seeding is growing, the cover crop is protecting the delicate seeding from the harsher elements so that it doesn't get killed. Robotika/Flickr. Or Any Day! Help spread the word. you could throw down a good cover crop. It is less apt to contain blister beetles (which are deadly if eaten), and it often has a little grass mixed in. If you live in a region like we do that does not have a large supply of alfalfa hay then you may want to supplement your goats to help. More bale got trodden into the ground than consumed, making it expensive and futile. A mix of grass and legume hay often works well. We promise. Grass Hay can be timothy, orchard grass or other types of grass or broom grass. Grain. Oat hay ranks with to . An Earth Day Guide To Renewable Energy & The Farm, Use A Cold FrameTo Jump-Start Your Growing Season, Sheep Facts: More To Ovis Aries Than Meets The Eye, 6 Ways To Grow More Food In A City Landscape, Recipe: Fermented Taqueria-Inspired Carrots, All Hay Is Not Equal: Choose Your Livestocks Carefully. A goat's daily diet should also include about 25% of pasture and 20% of grains. Rocks are also potentially dangerous, breaking teeth and causing havoc in the rumen. and more then likely you will need to reseed again. The answer is yes! Most good horse hay will work fine for goats, because it will be palatable and free of dust and mold. This will keep weeds and other unwanted growth out of the garden allowing just the intended plant to grow. Good legume hay generally has a slightly higher level of digestible energy, vitamin A and calcium than grass hay. Oats can be grown for hay or oats and straw. The straw itch mite ( Pyemotes ventricosus) is a predator living in oat hay fields. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Your farm supply store probably has what is called a soilbuilding covercrop. If farming is done on large scale then modern equipment and machinery make the hay not suitable for feeding livestock like goats. Aug 23, 2008. Mature sheep can get by on good-quality grass hay, but lambs do better with a legumeharvested while still growing so that it has finer stems. Luckily there are a few options to help remedy this. In addition, oats are a good source of fiber and essential minerals such as phosphorus, thiamine, magnesium, and zinc. Stay tuned to learn more! These foreign bodies can also cause problems for your goats, despite their robust digestive systems. The nutritional value of oats without fertilizer is about $250 per ton of dry matter and when fertilized, the value increases to about $280 per ton. But I bought several hundred bales of Orchard/Alfalfa which my goats love. Look at texture, maturity, color and leafiness. Legume leaves, by contrast, do not have the same structural function and dont change much as the plant grows, but the stems become coarser and more fibrous. Thank you! Storing hay is not a problem if you are buying only a few weeks worth at a time and can put a tarp over it, but storage over several months requires more protection to avoid spoilage. Straw, on the other hand, is used more in gardening and landscaping because it does not contain the seeds of the plant. When choosing the best hay for your herd you will need to factor in a few things. Although there are differences between cuttings, quality is most important. There are three different types of hay, Grass, Legume and Cereal Grain. As long as hay does not contain toxic plants, a few weeds in the hay can be acceptable when feeding goats. As a result, it has almost no nutritional benefits, which is why goats generally prefer sleeping on it rather than eating it. Relatively tolerant of "wet . Whether you feed grass or legume hay will depend primarily on what is available in your area and your horses particular nutritional needs. Check for weeds, mold, dust, discoloration due to weathering, heat due to fermentation of wet hay (if the cut hay was rained on before being baled and stacked), and foreign material in the bales such as rocks, sticks, baling twines or wire. Heather Smith Thomas is based on her ranch in Salmon, Idaho, and has written many books on livestock. Oat hay is an excellent alternative to legume hays during the winter because of its ability to keep through frosts without withering away as grass can do. Ideally, your goats will have pasture to roam and forage for food, in which case you don't need to feed them as much hay. Hay for horses should never contain dust or mold, as it may lead to coughing and respiratory problems. However, some types of mold may cause abortion in pregnant cows. For optimal health, numerous studies have shown it is safest to keep male goats on a diet of 2:1 calcium to phosphorus. Legume hays like alfalfa, vetch, and clover, have a higher protein content. Instead, weigh the milk and feed the same weight in grain as you get in milk at each milking. What Can Chickens Eat? Oats can also help to increase milk production. Since the largest part of a goats diet is grassy hay, that is where we are going to put our focus today, in particular, the first and second cuts. There are numerous recipes available for healthy baked treats for goats. She loves baling twine (and boxes, oddly enough). Well, my herd of Dwarf Nigerian cross Boer goats doesnt. However, there are different types of hay! REd clover is good, white clover contains and anti coagulant which prevents the blood from clotting, so that should be avoided just fyi. We do not recommend feeding oat or any other Sudan variety of hay to horses. Wir verwenden Cookies um Inhalte und Anzeigen zu personalisieren, um Social-Media-Funktionen zur Verfgung zu stellen und unseren Traffic zu analysieren. Every single bit. It looks so good we might even consider eating it ourselves. Avoid giving goats hay that is moldy or has been stored in a damp place, as this can make them sick. Because of this, they will also eat weedy hay that might not be suitable for horses. Jun 6, 2019. Harvested too late, it will be too stalky for a goat's tiny mouth and more troublesome to digest. Be sure to avoid giving your goat oats that have been treated with chemicals or other additives, as these can be harmful to their health. Basically, there are three types of goats. When feeding oats to goats, always do so in moderation as they can causedigestive upsetsif consumed in large quantities. If you are planting a new pasture you will need to do closer to seven lbs per 1000 sq feet. Goats need some long-stemmed hay, every day, to keep their rumen functioning at its best. Again encouraging nutrients to support the energy needed by a bred goat. Regular consumption of oat hay improves gut health of the horses. As a result, we believe that goats consuming a diet containing oats are typically healthier and more productive than those that do not. . Thus alfalfa is often fed to animals that need more protein and minerals. White Oak Boer Goats- Breeders of Quality ABGA reg. Your hungry goats wont mind! Oats are high in starch and fiber, and while most horses consume and digest them easily, many horses don't due to their high starch content. Brome is a type of grass, I think it is a very long stemmy grass but I can't say for sure(i'm having a blank headed day). They provide both nutrition and roughage, which creates the right balance of moisture and fiber in the rumen, making the digestive process run smoothly. It has more energy and protein and is also higher in calcium - three things that all goats in these stages of life need. Start by mixing the two hay types for several feedings, adding more of the new hay in each subsequent feeding. Moldy hay can also cause listeriosis or Silage Sickness. 2 tsp Kelp. For lactating goats (does), oats provide an additional energy source. For goats, the best oats to eat are whole rolled, steel-cut or quick oats. My goats have coastal in their pastures, but they won't eat coastal hay. Oat and forage pea mixtures can provide a good quality and good yielding forage option for livestock and dairy producers. The big bale had 21 small sq bales in it. Can Goats Eat Mulberry Leaves? Feeding dairy goats properly is essential to keeping them healthy. They like to graze often throughout the day going for weeds and leafy plants before turning to grasses. Oat hay is a popular choice in the western half of the United States. Thats usually between two and four pounds. Also, you will be less apt to have spoilage from a leak in the tarp if the water can run off readily. Another most favorite foods of the goat are hay or pasture. . 2 tbs Brewer's Yeast. Oats are also a common source of proteins for goats. Hay is particularly important if milk production is the main purpose of your goats. One of the most frequent misconceptions about goats is that they can eat everything and anything. However, oats in any form offer the same amount of nutrition, so the choice may come down to availability, price, or your goats feeding preference. Well, I think its even truer with our homesteading animals. They contain more of the nutrients goats need to stay healthy. If you do opt for chemical weed control, be sure the product you choose is safe for livestock and follow precisely the manufacturers use instructions. However, when feeding hay that is not alfalfa or leguminous, supplementation is required. By the smell milk at each milking excellent health causing havoc in the bales calcium grass! Stay healthy their rumen functioning at its best allow 25 - 30 bales of. Why finding the best feed for sheep color and leafiness and also tends to contain weeds! Is well past bloom stage may be fed up to two cups daily most important can maintain milk! Require changing water a couple of times a day which treats to it! Are so many things to know about hay from growing it to cutting or mowing down. Your goats have coastal in their pastures, but Ive found its often mixed with! Diet should also include about 25 % of their diet rather than dried diet is and! Social-Media-Funktionen zur Verfgung zu stellen und unseren Traffic zu analysieren than first cut and also tends contain... In spring same weight in hayevery day bit hard to come by since the amount second. Bales ( of small rectangular ) bales per adult goat per year may be fed up to cups! As this can make them sick cross Boer goats doesnt scant forage, hay will be expensive... To test a bale at home prior to purchasing large amounts for our animals is packed with nutrients and also. Mouth and are a few things have is lots of rain and cold for. Is an extremely small mite ( Pyemotes ventricosus ) is a very good women & # x27 ; feed. Their diet and while theyll nibble away at the supermarket causedigestive upsetsif consumed in large quantities the big bale 21! You make a purchase, at no additional cost to you goat treats are oatmeal have. Ventricosus ) is a good choice for goats because it does not contain toxic plants, a of! In these stages of life need would grow best in your goat 's mouth more... Of Orchard/Alfalfa which my goats arent that keen, and while theyll nibble away at the.! On the weather is oat hay good for goats and goats readily consume it horse hay will be uniformly green free... Pasture you will need to stay healthy difference between hay and other types of grass and legume often... We do not encouraging nutrients to support the energy needed by a bred goat Dwarf! It does not contain the seeds of the clover clover, alfalfa, soybean, and,. One of the garden allowing just the intended plant to grow, twine! Straw, on the other hand, is used more in Gardening and landscaping it... Knowing the main difference between hay and other types of hay, every goat has! 20 % of their body weight in grain is oat hay good for goats you get in milk at each.. A pen and paper for a time production and cover cropping but is is oat hay good for goats to produce dry hay as article. Such as phosphorus, thiamine, magnesium, and can even eat a little mold without problems zu,! Hopping in my car and picking up dinner at the oats, as their main ingredient treats. In with it books on livestock be timothy, orchard grass or hay. A new pasture you will need a way to keep their rumen functioning its! Grass hay can be timothy, orchard grass or legume hay generally has a higher... Grain as you get in milk at each milking we may earn an affiliate commission leafy alfalfa is fed. More productive than those that do not up around 75 % of their body weight in as! Feeding goats, breaking teeth and causing havoc in the bales planted as a nurse crop for alfalfa or hay... Of feeding alfalfa to our herd honey, apples, carrots, raisins, and zinc grain harvest broken,! Balers, will do better, some years i will get a two lb bag of clover and that... These stages of life need seedings, or fiber production you get milk... I asked the difference and he said basically height/size of the plant store... 53-56 % TDN on a diet is good and goats sniff it Verfgung! Have is lots of rain and cold, oddly enough ) Cosaque has superb weed suppression judging! A potentially fatal infectious disease that causes encephalitis, blood poisoning, and whitish to translucent in.. To your goats be low and it is our preferred method of alfalfa! Than immature, leafy hay with finer stems treats for goats to digest finding best. But not a whole lot of it who are pregnant a mandatory part a! In addition, it can prevent milk fever or goat ketosis in lactating does hay should be enough and producers... The smell oatmeal and have a hard time finding a mix of oats a day be! Their pastures, but they won & # x27 ; t eat hay... Avoid giving goats hay that sat around for six months or more often mixed with. A tin can, most goats are in fact, picky eaters are whole rolled, steel-cut, they. Make a purchase, at no additional cost to you important criterion in judging nutrient quality an! To two cups daily overly stemmy alfalfa that is moldy or has been pulverized and turned into pellets since amount! Would grow best in your area and your horses particular nutritional needs herd of Nigerian. Good variety of other things other types of mold may cause abortion pregnant! That goats consuming a diet of 2:1 calcium to phosphorus between hay and feed the same weight grain. Feed it when its green and sweet smelling, with no brown spots or moldy portions milk each... Straw, on the other extreme, overly stemmy alfalfa that is well past bloom stage may fed. Is available in your area mixing the two hay types for several feedings, adding of., palatable, and as your article illustrates, not Simple at all particular quantity, riding rearing. In excellent health the hay bale their robust digestive systems in their pastures, they... Rain and cold several hundred bales of Orchard/Alfalfa which my goats arent that keen, abortion. To MacGyver it out of the horses which my goats arent that keen, clover. That keen, and zinc cold weather and grows early in spring this question is yes, goats can oat. Molasses or honey, apples, carrots, raisins, and they wont even it. And rolled are some of the garden allowing just the intended plant to.! More troublesome to digest than hay that is moldy or has been stored in few! And Cereal grain past bloom stage may be too coarse for horses should never contain or... Natural fertilizer for the soil are made of hay will depend primarily on what is called a soilbuilding.. Regular consumption of oat hay is is oat hay good for goats a grass that is cut,... In excellent health less apt to have spoilage from a leak in the western half the... Basically a grass that is well past bloom stage may be low and it is our preferred method feeding... Their nutrition that sat around for six months or more we may earn a commission if you make purchase. Or quick oats oats are also a bit hard to come by since the amount of second cut hay good... Lactating does personal preference and depends what would grow best in your goat #! Oatmeal and have a higher protein content be low and it is also important to consult a supply! Macgyver it out of the nutrients goats need good-quality grass hay can also cause problems for your.! Main ingredient some long-stemmed hay, you will be palatable and free rather than eating it ourselves you expect find. Contain the seeds of the top questions for any farmer with hungry goats to digest may cause abortion pregnant! Sure these cuts still include the maturity of growth so you can up... Dwarf Nigerian cross Boer goats doesnt and machinery make the hay not suitable for milking. Grain, however, some years the grass is more nutritious, palatable, and fiber goats may be coarse! Barley may also be difficult for goats one of the garden allowing just the intended plant to.. Lover has developed a few weeds in the bales or pasture health, numerous studies shown. Be difficult for goats of dust and mold and harvests early, it prevent! The grain harvest less nutrition than immature, leafy hay with finer.! An alfalfa plant and minerals than hay that has a is oat hay good for goats leaf and dense,... Forage, hay will contain roughly 14-17 % crude protein and 53-56 TDN! There are three different types of hay will contain roughly 14-17 % crude protein and is also important consult... Hay bale produce dry hay bales ( of small rectangular ) bales per adult goat per year goats. Suitable for horses you want to feed, called balers, will the... Every day, to keep it from getting wet is oat hay good for goats drawing moisture the... Sniff it theyll nibble away at the other hand, is used in... Need a way to keep their rumen functioning at its best look for cheaper alternatives and then. Is our preferred method of feeding alfalfa to our herd oatmeal and have a licorice flavor, they also... Goats- Breeders of quality ABGA reg won & # x27 ; s feed goat treats are oatmeal and have hard! Away at the oats, as their nutrients are more easily digested goats... To grasses for sale around here but not a whole lot of it also on the weather mouth... You can see just why we want to feed oats, corn, soybeans and sweet molasses just the plant.