WILD MOUNTAIN FARMS
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Hay for dwarf goat WEathers

Not Really "Poor Quality"
You don't really want to feed your goat weathers poor quality hay. Your hay should be free of mold, dry and fresh. It just needs to be more stemy and could have more weeds in it, as long as they are not weeds that are poisonous to goats. And it should have a low protein count (around 7%). No alfalfa or clover (save that for the lactating females or breeding bucks). 
What I really mean by "poor quality hay"

I can probably get into some trouble suggesting you feed any animal "poor quality" feed. Understand that this term is coming from someone who knows hay from feeding horses. I have exceptionally good quality, bright green grass/alfalfa mix hay that I feed my horses. When I come across hay that is all grass with lots of stems and woody parts, especially if it is bleached and dull in color, I treat this as poor quality - not something I would want my horses subsisting on. But it turns out that this is just the kind of hay a goat does best on.

For adult goat weathers, this isn't really "poor quality" at all. They aren't grazers like horses or sheep, they are browsers like deer. They aren't really meant to primarily eat grass - they are made to eat bushes, trees, and a million types of weeds and other plants with maybe a little grass thrown in. Much of what they eat is woody and hard like sticks, pine needles, bark and stalks - things a horse couldn't easily digest or get any nutrition out of. But, unlike horses, goats have 4 stomachs specifically designed to take apart woody, tough plants and get nutrition out of them which a grazer couldn't get. The reason this matters is that their bodies are made to find every bit of nutrition in things most animals couldn't get any nutrition out of at all. Thus, if you feed them food with large amounts of readily available nutrition, they are likely to become overfed and over fat very quickly.
The Right Hay for Dwarf Goat Weathers
  • all grass, high in stems and (possibly) weed hay. About 2.5 lbs per day for a 50 lb weather.
  • they will nibble on straw but it won't give them any significant nutrition









return to general education page
Resources:
  • Article focusing on dairy goats but also mentioning weathers and bucks
  • Getting started homesteading with Dwarf Goats
  • Krebs Dairy Goats (we bought our goats from here)
  • Question answered about feeding goats
  • A few quick tips for feeding goats
  • Basics of Feeding Weathers
  • More detailed info about goat feed needs














Location

raising rocky mountain horses
​for every rider

Because when the mountains are wild,
the horse shouldn't be!

Wild Mountain Farms
PO Box 209
Frenchtown, MT  59834
[email protected]
Christie and Dave Goodman

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  • WildMountainFarms
  • Wildflowers of Western Montana
    • Arnica
    • Arrowleaf Balsamroot
    • Bear Grass
    • Bee Balm
    • Blanket Flower
    • Bluebell
    • Blue Clematis
    • Blue Eyed Mary
    • Biscutroot
    • Bitterroot
    • Buttercup, Sagebrush
    • Buttercup, Common
    • Cinquefoil
    • Clover
    • Deptford Pink
    • Fireweed
    • Fleabane
    • Glacier Lily
    • GoldenRagwort
    • Goldenrod
    • Harebell
    • Indian Paintbrush
    • Kinickinick
    • Lady's Slipper
    • Larkspur
    • Lupine
    • Mouseeared Chickweed
    • Oregon Grape
    • Oxeye Daisy
    • Pasque Flower
    • Penstemon
    • Prarie Smoke
    • Round Leaf Alumroot
    • Salsify
    • Shooting Star
    • Tansy
    • Thimbleberry
    • Thistle
    • Trillium
    • Vetch
    • Wild Geranium
    • Wild Hyacinth
    • Wild Mustard
    • Wild Onion
    • Wild Rose
    • Wild Strawberry
    • Wild Sunflower
    • Wild Violet
    • Wild Campion
    • Woodland Star
    • Yarrow
    • Plant ID Books I Like
  • Kittens
  • About Us
    • Christie
    • Christie's Writing
    • Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
    • Dave
  • Education
    • About the Rocky Mountain Horse >
      • History of the Rocky Mountain Horse Breed
      • Other Mountain Horse Breeds
      • What They Look Like
      • Temperament of the Rocky Mountain Horse
      • What They Do
      • Where to Find a Rocky Mountain Horse
      • Cost of a Rocky Mountain Horse
      • Genetic Testing
    • Breeding Education >
      • Deciding to Breed
      • Choosing a stallion
      • Getting Started
      • Breeding Costs
      • Breeding Basics >
        • Timing Details
      • AI vs Live Cover
      • Pre-Breeding Preparation
      • Breeding Contract
      • Live Foal Guarantee
    • Basic Genetics >
      • Basic Genetics Expanded
    • Color Genetics >
      • Horse Color Genetics >
        • Basic Color Genes
        • Special Color Genes >
          • Special Color Details
        • The Colors >
          • Red
          • Bay
          • Black
          • White
          • Gray
          • Chocolate
          • Cream Gene Colors >
            • Palomino
            • Buckskin
            • Black Buckskin
            • Cremello
            • Perlino
            • Smokey Cream
          • Champagne
          • Paint
          • Roan
          • Appaloosa Horses
    • Raising a Foal Right
    • Transporting Horses Long Distance >
      • Transport Paperwork
      • Transport Equiptment (Big)
      • Transport Equiptment (Small)
      • Feed and Water For Transporting
      • Driving Practices for Transporting
      • Transport Tips
  • Our Horses
    • Lady
  • Our Animal Partners
  • Our Human Partners
  • Contact Us
  • Western Montana Riding Trails
  • The Pacific Crest Trail
    • Who We Are >
      • Why and What
      • Christie
      • Kaladin
      • The Horses
      • Riding Companions
      • Local Resources
      • Home Team
    • Strategy and Goals
    • PCT Basics
    • PCT Water
    • PCT Safety
    • PCT Timing
    • PCT Maps
    • PCT Permits
    • PCT Resources
    • PCT Contacts
    • PCT Gear >
      • backpacking gear List >
        • Shelter >
          • Tents
        • Sleeping Bag
        • Sleeping Pad
        • Camp Chair
        • Water Purifier
        • Water Reservoir
        • Kitchen Gear
      • horse packing gear
      • dog packing gear
      • safety gear
      • photography gear
      • packing organization
  • AirBnB Cabin
  • Goats
    • Goat Enclosures
    • Feeding Goats >
      • Feeding Dwarf Goats >
        • Dwarf Goat Hay
  • Horsepacking
    • How Many Horses
  • Sheep
  • Contact Info
  • Trial Page
  • New Page