Goats actually have very simple needs, since they originate from the “dry lands” they have evolved to extract as many nutrients as possible from very little.

It is a common assumption that 'goats eat everything' but they can be ridiculously fussy. They don't like eating food that has been on the floor, mine often don't eat food that we've touched with our bare hands! Yet will think nothing of trying to eat the plastic sack from the sawdust or looting our vets bag of empty syringe packets!! Jokes aside, it's really important to not give in and give them processed foods designed for humans, yes they will LOVE those ginger biscuits or tortilla chips but goats digestive systems aren't designed to process such food and, in the long term, could make them unwell.

I’m going to focus mainly on back garden goats, who will be predominantly wethers (castrated boys) nutritional needs. Although I’ll touch on other kinds of feed.

 

Hay

Get the best quality you possibly can, preferably a meadow hay which will have a variety of species of grass, wildflowers and weeds. This will make up 60% of their diet. It should be made available 24/7. The long fibres encourage saliva production which is necessary for healthy digestion and helping to flush them through. I recommend using a high quality, galvanised steel hay rack which will last for years without rusting and practically indestructible. Don't use hay nets as these are hazardous to goats, they can get tangled up and, worse case scenario, potentially strangled.

 

Avoid alfalfa, for your wethers, as it is too high in calcium.

 

Dried Grasses 

I know you’re thinking ‘but isn’t that just hay?’ Well yes and no, it is dried at a much lower temperature so it is much greener and is higher in protein.

I use Readigrass but other varieties are Just Grass, Dengie Pure Grass, Emerald Green Feeds ‘Grasstastic’ all of which are a great addition to your goats diet.

These aren’t meant to be fed ad lib, they are best fed at ‘mealtimes’ My Pygmies have 1/2 a handful for breakfast.

Goats can also have grass pellets as a treat but make sure they aren’t big enough to choke on. I break them up and give as treats.

Dried grasses and grass pellets also contain around 15% protein (sometimes much more!) so are best kept to a minimum. They are still a valuable source of vitamins and minerals.

 

Chaffs

These are another great addition to your goats diet, full of natural ingredients that are perfect for your goats rumen and oils which are great for their skin and hair.

I use Dengie Meadow lite, 1 handful each at breakfast and dinner. Other varieties are Thunderbrooks herbal chaff, Emerald Green Feeds ‘fibre fabulous’

 

 

Other

You will need access to 'browse' which are trees and hedgerows or , during winter, a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables that you can give your goats to form a healthy, well balanced diet. I only give a handful of veg once a day when there’s no browse available. But because there are some things that goats shouldn't eat I have made separate lists of safe/unsafe foods as these are quite extensive. As I mentioned previously, I grow specially chosen shrubs around the outside of their enclosure for them to browse without destroying the whole plant, of which they get fed the fresh cuttings too.

 

Water

Clean, fresh water should be available 24/7. Goats won’t drink dirty, stale water and it is vital that they drink plenty to encourage healthy digestion. It also aids in the extraction of nutrients whilst flushing out of unneeded minerals. Rubber tubs are best because plastic and metal change the taste of the water and goats, being fussy, will then not drink it.

 

Supplements 

It is important to provide a variety of mineral sources for your goats. These are best in the form of lick blocks. I use Rockies baby yellow (standard) baby red (for copper) and purple (for zinc) they also have a Himalayan salt lick.

I’ve observed my goats licking different ones at different times and believe that they instinctively know what they need. I’ve heard people say that their goats don’t touch their lick at all therefore it must be useless, but they’ll only have the copper one. Goats do need copper, but not constantly, so if they only have a copper lick they may not use it very often and if there’s no other alternative for them to use then they run the risk of deficiencies.

 

I don’t give my wethers loose minerals, after discussing with my vet, we have decided that they are too high in calcium which can also lead to urinary calculi. I also don’t give drenches as they tend to be short lived. I’d say get blood tests first to see if they are actually deficient in anything.
If you’re supplying a variety of mineral licks and they’re getting a wide variety of hay, browse, dried grasses, chaff and fruit & vegetables they really shouldn’t be deficient so drenching them with extra is just a waste of money.

If blood test come back with a particular deficiency then your vet will advise on what to give…for example, one of my wethers has trouble processing zinc and he loses his hair. He’s not actually deficient but a once or twice a year dosing of zinpro boosts him and his hair grows back.

 

 

• You’ll notice that I haven’t included goat mix. This is because, contrary to popular belief, it is not suitable for all goats. Really it’s only meant to be used for ‘working goats’ eg meat or dairy goats. Goat mix has a high grain content and is the leading cause of urinary calculi (bladder stones) this is very difficult to treat and often results in the animal being put to sleep. The reason that boys, particularly wethers, are prone to this is down to their urethra being very long, narrow and bent in a 'u turn'. Wethers are generally castrated at a young age in this country, resulting in an immature urethra that is even narrower meaning that blockages are far more likely and, as I say, often fatal. If you can, try to find a breeder that has had them surgically castrated at around 3 months of age if not older to allow the urethra to fully mature. I'll talk more about urinary calculi later.

        There are exceptions to this, as always. Old or infirm goats will gain more benefit by eating goat mix (or ther usually off limits food) that far outweigh the risk.

 

• I mention again that processed foods are a definite no no for goats. They may well enjoy things like bread, biscuits, crackers etc…but they are seriously bad for them. Their digestive systems are completely different from ours, they simply aren’t designed to be able to process food like that. I can't stress that enough.