Re: ? regarding cost of keep of goats-Ziggy

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Ziggy. Yes, we do feed good quality alfalfa hay, not too expensive. We paid $3/bale (about 60# bales) out of the field. This is really nice hay, stems are nice, it's very leafy, 1st crop. I would much rather them eat more alfalfa than so much grain. Do you have goats? What kind? How much grain to you feed? How much milk do they produce?

Thanks!

Dona

[Guest guest]

Donna - If I could get hay at that price I suspect my cost would go down to $300

per year or maybe less.

Even the " worst " straight fescue is $4/bale around here from the farm.

I have Alpines, Nubians and one Lamancha and one Saanen (the singles are kids

purchased this year to satisfy personal preferences of children so they can show

them).

We only feed grain to milkers on the milk stand and probably only about 3 pounds

per day (or 1.5 per milking) - I know feed manufacturers may recommend more but

they are all in good body condition at this rate. (I calculated this by how many

pounds of feed I go through a month - average 50 pounds per day divided by 16

milkers)

On average our goats give us just over a gallon a day per goat - first

fresheners are allowed a little less but if they aren't putting that out by 2nd

year then they are sent down the road. I have several that are closer to 2

gallons a day - one of my Nubians milked 14.4 lbs on a one day milk test on one

of the hottest days of the summer and a few of my Alpines do about the same.

Ziggy

www.sunrisefarmnc.com

>

> Thanks, Ziggy. Yes, we do feed good quality alfalfa hay, not too expensive.

We paid $3/bale (about 60# bales) out of the field. This is really nice hay,

stems are nice, it's very leafy, 1st crop. I would much rather them eat more

alfalfa than so much grain. Do you have goats? What kind? How much grain to

you feed? How much milk do they produce?

>

> Thanks!

> Dona

>

[Guest guest]

Donna - If I could get hay at that price I suspect my cost would go down to $300

per year or maybe less.

Even the " worst " straight fescue is $4/bale around here from the farm.

I have Alpines, Nubians and one Lamancha and one Saanen (the singles are kids

purchased this year to satisfy personal preferences of children so they can show

them).

We only feed grain to milkers on the milk stand and probably only about 3 pounds

per day (or 1.5 per milking) - I know feed manufacturers may recommend more but

they are all in good body condition at this rate. (I calculated this by how many

pounds of feed I go through a month - average 50 pounds per day divided by 16

milkers)

On average our goats give us just over a gallon a day per goat - first

fresheners are allowed a little less but if they aren't putting that out by 2nd

year then they are sent down the road. I have several that are closer to 2

gallons a day - one of my Nubians milked 14.4 lbs on a one day milk test on one

of the hottest days of the summer and a few of my Alpines do about the same.

Ziggy

www.sunrisefarmnc.com

>

> Thanks, Ziggy. Yes, we do feed good quality alfalfa hay, not too expensive.

We paid $3/bale (about 60# bales) out of the field. This is really nice hay,

stems are nice, it's very leafy, 1st crop. I would much rather them eat more

alfalfa than so much grain. Do you have goats? What kind? How much grain to

you feed? How much milk do they produce?

>

> Thanks!

> Dona

>