Feeding Your Goats

Goats actually have very simple needs, since they originate from the “dry lands” they have evolved to extract as many nutrients as possible from very little.

It is a common assumption that 'goats eat everything' but they can be ridiculously fussy. They don't like eating food that has been on the floor, mine often don't eat food that we've touched with our bare hands! Yet will think nothing of trying to eat the plastic sack from the sawdust or looting our vets bag of empty syringe packets!! Jokes aside, it's really important to not give in and give them processed foods designed for humans, yes they will LOVE those ginger biscuits or tortilla chips but goats digestive systems aren't designed to process such food and, in the long term, could make them unwell.

I’m going to focus mainly on back garden goats, who will be predominantly wethers (castrated boys) nutritional needs. Although I’ll touch on other kinds of feed. 

HAY

Get the best quality you possibly can, preferably a meadow hay which will have a variety of species of grass, wildflowers and weeds. This will make up 60% of their diet. It should be made available 24/7. The long fibres encourage saliva production which is necessary for healthy digestion and helping to flush them through. I recommend using a high quality, galvanised steel hay rack which will last for years without rusting and practically indestructible. Don't use hay nets as these are hazardous to goats, they can get tangled up and, worse case scenario, potentially strangled.

Avoid alfalfa, for your wethers, as it is too high in calcium.

I no longer recommend the use of dried grasses for adult pet goats, particularly for wethers. It is too high in protein, around 15%, the ideal total protein intake is less than 12%. For the same reason it is best to avoid grass pellets.

BROWSE

You will need access to 'browse' which are trees, hedgerows and weeds. But because there are some things that goats shouldn't eat I have made separate list of foods as these are quite extensive. Browse should be available all the time they are outside but this isn’t always possible in which case you’ll need to supplement their diet with chaff and a mixture of fruit and vegetables. 

CHAFFS

Goat mix is totally unnecessary for pet goats, it’s designed for the farming industry to feed dairy and meat goats who need the extra calories and fat. It’s only necessary for pet goats during the late stages of pregnancy and whilst nursing their young. For goats whose only job is to play and browse it’s not only unnecessary but can also make them fat and prone to illness, in particularly wethers who are at risk of urinary calculi part,y due to the ingredients of goat mix.

Chaffs make a fantastic substitute for goats that might not have contsant access to browse but, unlike hay, it should be fed twice a day as a meal in the same way that you would feed goat mix.

I’ve put together a list of suitable products since, contrary to popular belief, not all horse feeds are suitable for goats (who would have thought!)

Avoid chaffs that contain alfalfa, molasses, limestone and that have a protein content above 10%

When changing your goats diet always do so slowly. Goats really don’t like change so need coaxing gently, doing it like this also allows the rumen to adjust to new food without any problems.

The first ones are ideal for young goats that are still growing but can still be fed to mature goats in smaller quantities…

Emerald Green Feeds

Thunderbrook

SIMPLE SYSTEMS 

The following are perfect for a maintenance diet as they’re lower in protein, oil and sugar for when your goat is no longer growing and is a perfect weight.

Thunderbrook

Dengie

Honeychop

This next one is for underweight goats or goats lacking in condition particularly following an illness. It is too high in oil for prolonged use but it will help your goat recover quickly before returning to their usual diet.

Dengie

Water

Clean, fresh water should be available 24/7. Goats won't drink dirty, stale water and it is vital that they drink plenty to encourage healthy digestion. It also aids in the extraction of nutrients whilst flushing out unneeded minerals. Rubber tubs are best because plastic and metal change the taste of the water and goats, being fussy, will then refuse to drink.

Minerals