Posted by GoatWorld on November 30, 2002 at 18:29:20:
In Reply to: What kind of Hay posted by Terri on November 30, 2002 at 12:41:45:
Hi Terri,
This has been a rough year hay wise in this area and it seems the best hay is coming out of the James River Basin area or the Joplin area. There are basically two types of hay - Legume type hay and Carbonaceous hay. Brome hay is a carbonaceous hay which means that it is lower in protein and some other nutrients.
Awhile back I posted a couple of messages with formulas regarding feeding goats based upon the type of hay being fed. Basically, with Legume type hay such as alfalfa, you will want to aim for a lower protein mix with your supplements - hay and grain whereas with hays such as Brome, you will want to supplement with higher protein additives Cottonseed meal, soy bean meal, etc. You might want to aim for about 10 to 12% for your wethers and higher for your doe - depending upon if she is pregnant or lactating. If I remember correctly, Brome hay is roughly 5% protein (depending upon how it was grown, cured, etc.) but primarily serves as roughage for the goat.
To simplify all this without getting too technical, you could probably feed an "All Stock" or "All Grain" (corn, oats and molasses) feed and/or a 12% grain mix (corn, more oats and molasses) in addition to the Brome and have no problems at all. Whole oats or steam crimped oats will give you roughly 11% protein and work well with hay no matter the type. Just remember to keep your goats well supplied with a loose mineral or soft mineral block. The seaweed meal will be an asset as well.
Best regards,
Gary