Hay for dwarf goat WEathers
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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.
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
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