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  • From: Clansgian AT wmconnect.com
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Goats and Hay
  • Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2006 07:18:43 EDT



> (Just some friendly jabbing James, don't get pissed)
>

Never pissed at genuine jabbing.

But one thing I'd echo from the goatatericist, go very, very easy on the
protein with goats. Not only will it provoke useless hoof growth, but horns
(oh,
wait, goatatericists don't have horns on their goats!) and hair. And it can
make them sick. Some people I knew bought some Nigerian dwarves expecting
more than the ten ounces or so of milk a day that they were getting. They
read
on the internet that Nigerians need more protein than other goats so they got
some 60% mare supplement and nearly killed the goats.

Like most everyone else here who has commented, I've not actually encountered
soy hay. If it is the spent haulms, it will have only a modest amount of
nutrition. However, if it was cut green and dried much as one would do
alfalfa,
it will be very high protein. Any amount of protein in a goat's diet over a
certain modest level is wasted at best. Given a choice goats will eat
greenbriars, blackberry vines, poison ivy, tree bark, horse nettles and the
like.
They will only graze weeds and grass down to 18" high (to avoid parasites)
unless they can't find anything else. Mine just polished off a large stand
of
nightshade! That is, their natural diet isn't high protein but rather high
bulk
and high fiber.

Spend some time watching the goats, they are better instructors than all of
us combined.




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