I need help on an "organic-goat-raising" project. What should I feed it?

Question

I need to know what we should feed it. Organic stuff...preferably. Other tips on raising goats would be appreciated.

We actually had a similar project two years ago, during my first year in high school. We raised pigs and fed it mostly, Kamote (sweet potato) leaves, mixed with a certain amount of rice bran and molasses. But those were pigs...

Note: I think non-commercial products. (eg. Rice bran, salt) are prefferable...

Please... anyone who has knowledge of goat raising...help me.

Answer 1

I agree that browse pasture is your best choice.  If that is not possible or enough is not available, growing your own is an excellent alternative.  It does not need to be hay--what about planting some of the favorite goat live foods and harvesting as you need?  There are currently some very good sources for growing cattle/horse feeds (legume sprouts, etc) and a similar theory could be used with goats.  Ours love the trimmings from our hydroponic field (we grow organic) and it seems that growing goat crops would be quite simple in a small amount of space with a similar idea.  For "grain" type feeds, try sprouts and young plants--full of nutrition and readily consumed by our goats.

Answer 2

Let your goat browse as much as possible.  The natural diet of goats is tree leaves, weeds, shrubs, and other foliage.  They aren't particularly fond of grass, but they will have a few mouthfuls here and there.  Goats are notorious hay-wasters if fed coarse, stemmy hay.  

For concentrates, I would recommend a corn/sweet feed mixture top-dressed with molasses.  For roughage, get some high-quality (like alfalfa) hay and chop it or have it chopped.  The goats will eat it better and waste less if it's in smaller pieces.

Answer 3

What country are you located in?  Whate feed stuff is available to you?  

The very best way to raise goats "organically" is of course to have enough land that you can allow them to browse on pasture and shrubs themselves.  Goats shouldn't need humans to bring food to them.  Goats have four legs...they can walk to where the food is growing.

If you live in a country where winter (or very hot summers) destroy the ability of the goats to live on pasture, then you need to supliment with hay.

Here in the U.S.A. my usual choice is for Alfalfa hay.  If we grow it ourselves, it's organic.  If we have to purchase it, it's not.

You also didn't mention if the goats were for meat, or dairy, or if you were raising a mixed herd.  Dairy goats need access to a lot of high quality feeds to be able to keep producing milk.

You need to be careful with rice bran.  Rice bran is extremely high in potasium.  It actually leaches the calcium out of the bones of animals, unless you balance rice bran properly with other feeds.

I have over 100 goats.  I've been raising them since 1999.  Without knowing what country you are in, and what local feeds are avaiable to you, I am unable to offer better advice.  It's also very possible (since I believe you are in another country) that people here in the U.S.A. will have zero knowledge of your local feeds and how it affects goats.

Is there a goat farmer in your local area you could contact?  Most farmers I know of are very willing to help young people out with information if they are truely interested, and polite.

~Garnet

Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years