FEEDING ELDERLY/INFIRM GOATS

 

As awful as it is to contemplate there will come a time when our goats get old and struggle to eat, or maybe they’re ill or recovering from illness and need a temporary boost. This changes things when it comes to our approach to diet…

We no longer need to worry so much about other health risks caused by grains and high protein diets although it’s still important to keep things as balanced as possible.

Lots of people try to make their own blends using separate ingredients like oats, linseeds, beet pulp etc…but it’s really difficult to calculate the percentages of protein, fat, sugar let alone work out the calcium:phosphorus ratio!

 

The first thing we’re going to look at is hay replacement, lots of elderly goats struggle to eat hay and, as we know, this is an extremely important part of a goats diet.


BASE FEED/HAY REPLACER

 

Always follow feeding instructions as stated on the bag. But, as a guide for goats, feed approximately 2% of body weight eg a goat weighing 50kg will need 1kg of cobs/pellets per day (usually soaked with a minimum of 2.5l water per kg dried product) Soak pellets until they’re completely soft)

 

THUNDERBROOK

Hay Cobs

 

Ingredients: dried grasses and herbage

Protein: 8.4%

Oil: 1.9%

Sugar: 7.6%

Ca:Pho 2:1


BAILEY’S

Meadow Cobs


Ingredients - 100% meadow grasses and herbage

Protein - 9%

Oil - 2%

Sugar - 7.8%

Ca:Pho - 2:1



EMERALD GREEN FEEDS

Meadow Magic



SIMPLE SYSTEM

Hay Care



 

Ingredients - 100% meadow grasses

Protein 9%

Oil 2.5

Sugar - 8%

Ca:Pho - 1.6:1



 

Ingredients: 100% timothy grass

Protein: 9%

Oil: 3%

Sugar: 7%

Ca:Pho 1.5:1



Experiment with safe fruits and vegetables, alongside any forage they are able to manage, in order to keep things interesting and tasty. This will help them get their vitamins and minerals naturally.


ADD INS

 

The following products are ones you might consider giving as a daily treat to boost vitamin and mineral intake, especially if your goat is struggling to eat forage.

 

**It’s important to note that these all contain ingredients that, previously, we have avoided due to the risk of urinary calculi, kidney issues etc… but because we’re looking at elderly or infirm goats these risks are outweighed by the need to get food into them! But to keep a balance it is advisable to give a small amount each day whilst paying attention to weight gain and any signs of urinary discomfort**

 

 

DODSON & HORREL

Health Mash

 

ROWAN BARBARY

Ready Mash

Ingredients - Wheatbran, Beet pulp; Barley, Grass meal, Oatfeed, Vegetable oils & fats, Mint, Maize, Wheatfeed, Distiller's dark grains, Peas, Carrots, Echinacea, Sunflower seed meal, Soya meal, Fennel, Calcium carbonate, Linseed meal, Sodium chloride, Yeast products, Dicalcium phosphate, Psyllium, Cinnamon, Blackcurrent, Oregano.

Protein -13

Oil -7.5

Sugar - 5

Ca:Pho 2:1

 

 

Ingredients - Soya Hulls, Porridge Oats, Micronised Flaked Maize, Micronised Flaked Barley, Molasses, Soya Oil.

Protein -10.5%

Oil - 4%

Sugar - 2.5%

Ca:Pho 2:1

ALLEN & PAGE

Fast Fibre 

DODSON & HORREL

Staypower Muesli 

Ingredients - Straw Pellets, Oat Feed,  Beet Pulp, Linseed meal, Di-calcium Phosphate, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Mint, Organic Soya Oil, Vitamin and Mineral Premix, Fenugreek, Fructo-oligosaccharides, Yeast Products.

Protein - 7.5%

Oil - 3%

Sugar - 2.5%

Ca:Pho - 2.2:1

Ingredients - Oatfeed, Grass Meal, Barley, Wheatfeed, Molasses, Soya, Wheat, Sunflower Seed Meal, Rapeseed Oil, Maize, Soya Ext, Full Fat Soya, Calcium Carbonate, Linseed Meal, Sodium Chloride, Dicalcium Phosphate, Flaked Peas, Beet Pulp, Magnesium Oxide, Mint, Basil, Potassium Chloride.

Protein - 12%

Oil - 6%

Sugar - 8%

Ca:Pho - 2.2:1

 

 

THUNDERBROOK

Meadow Nuts

 

THUNDERBROOK

Gentle Gain (new product coming soon)

 


Ingredients - 100% dried Meadow Grasses and herbage.

Protein 10.5%

Ca:Pho 1.5:1

Oil 2.1%

Sugar 7%

Ca:Pho - 2.7:1

 


Ingredients - Sainfoin (58.5%), Rice bran (32%), Linseed, Yeast product (4%), Monocalcium phosphate, Magnesium oxide.

Protein - 15%

Oil - 8.7%

Sugar - 4.5%

Ca:Pho - 1.5:1



SPILLERS

Senior Super-Mash

 



DENGIE

Grass Pellets 

Ingredients - Soya bean hulls, Oatfeed, Dried beet pulp, Wheatfeed, Cereal straw, Rice bran, Sunflower seed meal, Calcium carbonate, Sodium chloride, Rapeseed oil, Oligo-fructose,Yeast products.

Protein -12%

Oil - 4.5 %

Sugar - 2.5%

Ca:Pho - 1.5:1

 

 

Ingredients - Fescue, Timothy and Rye grasses

Protein - 16%

Oil - 3%

Sugar - 12%

Ca:Pho - 1.5:1

TOPSPEC

High Fibre Mash

 

DENGIE

Meadow Grass with herbs and oil

Ingredients - Soya Hulls, High Fibre Oat By-Product, Beet Pulp, Linseed Expeller, Wheatbran, Grass, Molasses, Micronised Flaked Peas, Wheatfeed, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Chloride, Dicalcium Phosphate, Magnesium Oxide.

Protein -12%

Oil - 3.5%

Sugar -

Ca:Pho 1:0.6

 

 

Ingredients - Chopped grass (tall fescue, timothy and rye), grass pellets, rapeseed oil, herbs (liquorice root, ground fennel, chamomile, aniseed and mint).

Protein - 12%

Oil - 10%

Sugar - 12%

Ca:Pho - 1.5:1

DENGIE

Alfa A Molasses Frees 

 

 

DENGIE

Healthy Tummy

 

 

Ingredients: Chopped alfalfa, alfalfa pellets, rapeseed oil, mint and fenugreek.

Protein 14%

Oil 8.5%

Sugar 4.5%

Ca:Pho - 1.5:1

Ingredients: Alfalfa, alfalfa pellets, rapeseed oil, vitamin and mineral premix, ADM Protexin In-Feed formula, yeast and prebiotics, herbs (oregano, cinnamon, ginger, rosemary and thyme)

Protein 14%

Oil 8.5%

Sugar 4.5%

Ca:Pho - 1.5:1

 

 

THUNDERBROOK

Healthy Herbal Muesli

 

 

SIMPLE SYSTEM

Meadow Forage Pellets

Ingredients: Dried alpine grasses and herbage, black oil sunflower seeds, cold pressed linseed oil, toasted linseed shreds, carrot, apple, parsnip, beetroot, cornflower petals, calendula petals, rosehips, fennel seed, nettle, elderflower blossom, marshmallow root, aniseed.

Protein 13%

Oil 8%

Sugar 7% (app.)

Ca:Pho - 1.5:1

Ingredients - Grass (meadow fescue & tall fescue), Sainfoin, Birdsfoot trefoil, Chicory

Protein - 8-15%

Oil - 2-4%

Sugar - 5-12%

Ca:Pho - 2.33:1


GOAT MIXES

 

Then, of course, we have goat mixes. Once again I don’t advocate feeding this to healthy, non working goats. But even I know it has its place. You can feed it dry or soak it to a mash, whichever your goat finds easier to eat.

 

**As above, these feeds do increase the risk of urinary calculi, kidney stones and weight related conditions. Feed with caution, preferably in treat sized portions and watch the animal closely for an urinary issues and excessive weight gain **

 

 

ALLEN & PAGE

Smallholders Range


FANCY FEEDS

Dry Goat Mix


MARRIAGES

Pygmy Goat Mix


HEYGATES

Goat Mix


MOLE VALLEY

Course Goat Mix



DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT AN ANIMAL NUTRITIONIST NOR DO I PRETEND TO BE. MY AIM IS TO PROVIDE AS MUCH INFORMATION IN ONE PLACE AS POSSIBLE THUS MAKING IT EASIER FOR YOU TO DECIDE THE BEST THING FOR YOU AND YOUR GOATS.