When starting your herd of goats, it’s important to do a little bit of research to make sure you have everything you need to care for them. Once you have an idea of what you need, visit us at the Snohomish and Monroe Co-Op to explore options for feed, hay and minerals to support the health of your herd.
Goats are ruminants. They eat plants, and plant materials, which are digested in their four-part stomach. Their first stomach, and first step in digestion, is called the rumen. Rumens are rich in live, friendly bacteria. A healthy goat has a large rumen that feels spongy.
It is a common misconception that goats are good lawn-mowers, like sheep or cattle. In fact, goats should not eat a diet consisting entirely of fresh grass. Goats are related to deer and have a similar browsing eating habit. They like lots of options, nibbling here and there at tasty things within their reach. Because they are browsers, goats can be very happy living in a wide variety of terrains from pasture with lovely green grass, to scrubby woods where they will help to clear blackberries, and rough overgrown land.
When bringing home goats, it’s best to stick to what they are used to being fed, at least for a little while. If you want to make changes to their diet, do it gradually, and try to only change one element at a time. Bacteria in their rumen (their first stomach which begins digestion in goats) need time to adjust to new feed elements.
Available at the Snohomish and Monroe Co-Op, the main source of nutrition for goats should be hay. Goats need about two to four pounds of hay a day, minus what they forage outside. A goat’s rumen requires roughage from long fibers of hay to function properly. A local mix of hay, like those found at the Monroe Co-Op, or local orchard found at the Snohomish Co-Op, is an economical choice of hay for goats. Goats kept for fun or for pets don’t need the fanciest, most expensive hay. They need roughage more than heavy nutrition. Feed your goats hay freely, or keep it to twice a day routine in their hay-manger.
If you’re keeping goats for dairy, for meat production, or if you have a pregnant or lactating doe, choose Alfalfa hay for your goat’s supply of hay roughage. Available at both locations, in Snohomish and Monroe, Alfalfa provides more protein, nutrition, and additional calcium to support production goats.
Try feeding your goats Chaffhaye as a hay alternative. Chaffhaye is chopped alfalfa that has been fermented. Because of the fermentation process, Chaffhaye provides beneficial bacteria to support your goat’s rumens, and is more nutrient dense than dry hay. One 50-pound bag of Chaffhaye equals roughly 85 to 100 pounds of hay.
While foraging, browsing, and hay roughage should be the foundation of good goat nutrition, grains can be added to support your goat with protein, vitamins, and minerals. Grain feed is useful during times of bad weather, when your goats aren’t able to forage as much, or when does are raising multiple kids. Our House Brand Snoco Hoffman Goat feed from Conway mill is an excellent choice for goat grains. With an 18.5% protein content, Snoco Hoffman Goat is ideal to support growing and lactating goats. With the proper mix of vitamins and minerals, your goats will love the nutrition of Hoffman Goat feed, available at both the Snohomish and Monroe Co-Op.
Don’t forget your goat minerals. Always offer clean, free choice minerals. At the Snohomish and Monroe Co-Op we have a variety of mineral options available for goat, from loose minerals, to mineral blocks. Don’t forget a mineral feeding pan that can be mounted on a fence or wall.
Visit us at the Snohomish and Monroe Co-Op to find everything you need for your herd of goats: from feed storage containers with lids to keep out pests, to waterers, hay mangers, mineral feeders, and feed buckets. We also have a wide variety of goat grains to support your herd every step of the way. Our friendly team hereat the Snohomish and Monroe Co-Op can help you find everything you need to support the health and happiness of your goats.
