Goat feed 15% protein

[tcolvin]

For 10+ years I had goats and cows. At 76 years old I decided the goats were too much for me to continue so i sold out. Had over 40 head at one time and now none. My question is that since I have 3-1/2 bags of goat feed left on hand, can I feed my cows cotton seed mixed with goat feed. I mix now cow feed with cotton seed just to keep them coming in to corral to eat so when I need to work them it makes it easier to catch them. My question is can I use up the goat feed mixed with the cotton seed and feed them? I don’t see a great deal of difference within the feed but it is mixed for goats. I know the mineral content may not be up to par for cows but it looks close. I feed them this once a week with cow feed and try to keep the 24% mineral tubs (200 lbs) out for them. Also salt and sulphur boxes are kept out. I normally mix a 50lb bag of cow feed from a local feed meal at a time with 6 five gallon buckets of cotton seed and put it in the troughs for 12 head plus 6 growing calves. Other than that they just get pasture grass. The feed looks like some cracked corn, soy beans, ground corn cobs and other stuff. I could post a label it needed. I know it has some molasses in it. Thanks

 

[tater74]

Generally the goat feed has a bunch of copper in it.

If your OK with that in your mix, I see no need to worry.

 

[tcolvin]

Thanks, the copper was my main concern, but only three and a half bags, about a months time, I didn’t think it should hurt them.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Man I wish I could get whole cotton seeds. We used to feed it to our show string. Great for hair & skin condition.
That's a LOT of feed IMHO. Did you mean you fed: 50# bag of mixed feed AND 6 five gallon buckets of cotton seed? for 12 + 6 head?
Just the 50# bag evenly split to cows & calves is about 3#/hd/day (that's what I feed my show cattle). Isn't the "pasture grass" enough for your cows?

 

[coachg]

I wouldn’t feed straight goat feed but I don’t see a problem with a little mixed in . I’m like you , I hate to waste anything, especially at today’s prices !

 

[tcolvin]

Man I wish I could get whole cotton seeds. We used to feed it to our show string. Great for hair & skin condition.
That's a LOT of feed IMHO. Did you mean you fed: 50# bag of mixed feed AND 6 five gallon buckets of cotton seed? for 12 + 6 head?
Just the 50# bag evenly split to cows & calves is about 3#/hd/day (that's what I feed my show cattle). Isn't the "pasture grass" enough for your cows?

I really am pushing my pastures hard. I only have about 20 acres and I have 11 cows and one bull total 12. I had 9 calves born and 2 more coming, making a total of 21. I sold 3 calves off at 8 months old and have 3 more coming off in a month for sale. I am now using my goat pastures as a “getting ready for sale of the calves” by moving 3 moms and calves across road to old goat pastures that has good grass on them. Praise GOD for the wet year we have had I was able to pull it off this year so far. What gets to my pocket book is hay prices and mineral tubs. Vaccination time is bad enough but when you have to buy hay because you can’t grow your own it gets tricky keeping a float. Also note I only do this weekly as a treat so I can keep them coming in the corrals. . I’m not getting rich but I’m still swimming and doing what I love. The expense is what got my goats! Prices of goat feed nearly doubled in the 10+ years I had them. My saying now when people tell me “there is money in goats “, I come back with “your absolutely correct, but it’s not on the inside the fence, it’s on the outside of the fence” with feed, wormers, vaccines, and fence, gates,medicine and minerals, there no room for profit. Believe me, I tried. I hated selling them but I saw the hand writing on the wall. Now I’m trying to make a success story out of cows. Not so much to make a lot of money but to keep the taxes and the land cleared and pay their grocery bill. For me that would be a success story. You gotta love it, to keep doing it , don’t cha?

 

[wbvs58]

I really am pushing my pastures hard. I only have about 20 acres and I have 11 cows and one bull total 12. I had 9 calves born and 2 more coming, making a total of 21. I sold 3 calves off at 8 months old and have 3 more coming off in a month for sale. I am now using my goat pastures as a “getting ready for sale of the calves” by moving 3 moms and calves across road to old goat pastures that has good grass on them. Praise GOD for the wet year we have had I was able to pull it off this year so far. What gets to my pocket book is hay prices and mineral tubs. Vaccination time is bad enough but when you have to buy hay because you can’t grow your own it gets tricky keeping a float. Also note I only do this weekly as a treat so I can keep them coming in the corrals. . I’m not getting rich but I’m still swimming and doing what I love. The expense is what got my goats! Prices of goat feed nearly doubled in the 10+ years I had them. My saying now when people tell me “there is money in goats “, I come back with “your absolutely correct, but it’s not on the inside the fence, it’s on the outside of the fence” with feed, wormers, vaccines, and fence, gates,medicine and minerals, there no room for profit. Believe me, I tried. I hated selling them but I saw the hand writing on the wall. Now I’m trying to make a success story out of cows. Not so much to make a lot of money but to keep the taxes and the land cleared and pay their grocery bill. For me that would be a success story. You gotta love it, to keep doing it , don’t cha?

Sounds like you need to take advantage of your good prices at the salebarn at present and cash some in especially going into winter.
It is even more enjoyable when you run cattle comfortably within your carrying capacity.
Ken

 

[greybeard]

I can't help you with the goats, but finding a way to run 12 pair (1 bull=1 pair) on 20 acres =great!
Do you have good reason to believe the high priced min tubs are a better value than loose mineral?
I used the tubs some, and tho they are a convenient way to go, they aren't the least expensive.

 

[Travlr]

The expense is what got my goats! Prices of goat feed nearly doubled in the 10+ years I had them. My saying now when people tell me “there is money in goats “, I come back with “your absolutely correct, but it’s not on the inside the fence, it’s on the outside of the fence” with feed, wormers, vaccines, and fence, gates, medicine and minerals, there no room for profit.

I've had a few goats and they are the worst animals in the world for killing themselves. And they will walk through a tight fence like they like the challenge. They are either obnoxiously overly friendly, or so skittish that they are impossible to catch. No goats for me...

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I can't help you with the goats, but finding a way to run 12 pair (1 bull=1 pair) on 20 acres =great!
Do you have good reason to believe the high priced min tubs are a better value than loose mineral?
I used the tubs some, and tho they are a convenient way to go, they aren't the least expensive.

My nephew is a BioZyme dealer selling mineral. Tubs are strictly a convenience item. Much too expensive for what you get. The only tub product we use is a "stress tub" at weaning.

 

[southernultrablack]

I've had a few goats and they are the worst animals in the world for killing themselves. And they will walk through a tight fence like they like the challenge. They are either obnoxiously overly friendly, or so skittish that they are impossible to catch. No goats for me...

If your fence will hold water, it will almost hold a goat….