How to Keep a Goat From Stealing Horses Feed
There are goat owners who also have other farm animals like cows, sheep, horses etc in their yard.
If you have a large amount of horse feed at your disposal you might be wondering if it is good to give your goat the horse feed.
You might be a bit hesitant as you don't want to make a foolish move concerning feeding your goats with something.
In this blog post, you are going to discover if it is safe to give horse feed to the goats or not.
Can goats eat horse feed? Yes, goats can actually eat horse feed. Horse feed is best served to the goat as a treat and the serving should be done in moderation. Horse feed is the best for goats when you have nothing else to feed them.
It is very important to always check the labelling of the horse feed you are going to be served your goat, especially the one bought from the supermarket.
This will help you to determine the main ingredients that make up the horse feed you want to give to your goats.
Is horse feed good for the goats?
There are some horse feed that has higher Phosphorus to calcium ratio or higher percentage of copper.
Such a horse feed should not be given to your goats, as it may lead to copper buildup in your goat.
While I was researching this topic, I had the opportunity to discuss with some goat owners I have as friends.
One of them told me that he used to feed his goats with horse feed and they are doing fine on it. He said he used horse feed as his goats do not like begged goat feed he bought for them.
He said he used to mix the horse feed with some grains and beet pulp in order to reduce the copper percentage found in the feed.
Another person told me that his goats usually steal horse feed from the horses and sometimes clean the ground after the horse has eaten to satisfaction.
One of the members of backyard chickens forums says that his goats get into horse feed often and they seem to be very fine after eating the whole thing.
But he cautioned people to always feed them in moderation so as to prevent bloating in the goat.
Another member also said he usually feeds his goats some horse feed as a treat because he discovered that it is better than cattle feed and the rest.
If you are planning to buy horse feed for your goats, it is very important to watch out for the amount of copper in the feed.
You should avoid a field that has more than 28 PPM of copper in their nutritional value.
Also, you should check for the amount of corn used in making the horse feed. The reason is that corn does not offer much value to the goat.
Too much corn can lead to unwanted weight gain in the goat and sometimes leads to urinary calculi in the buck.
Also you should check out the amount of molasses used in the horse feed. You should never choose a horse feed that has a high amount of molasses.
Too much molasses in body system of the courts can lead to deficiency in vitamin B.
When this happens, it often leads to symptoms similar to goat polio which often leads to blindness in goats.
Is horse feed poisonous to the goat?
Some of the horse feed is not poisonous to the goat except when you give them horse feed with the wrong portion of food nutrients needed by the body system of the goats.
It is very essential for you to be watchful anytime you want to buy feed for your goat so that you will not end up buying the one that will later harm them.
Always choose a horse feed that has a minimum amount of protein which is not saturated with molasses.
Should I be worried if my goat eats horse feed?
When you have horses together with goats in the pen, there will be some situation whereby the goats will steal from the horse feed.
You should only be worried if it happens that the horse feed contains a high percentage of copper. This can cause inhibition of vitamins and minerals in the body system of the goats.
Why do goats steal horse feed from the horse?
Goats are very cunning, schemish and they always find a way to achieve their aims when it comes to eating or trying out new feet.
Your goats might have been longing for the horse feed anytime you serve them to the horse.
The level of craveness will increase if you don't serve the same to the goats while the horses are enjoying the feeds.
When this happens, the goat will develop a clever plan on how to steal the feed from the horse and have everything to itself only.
Goats will also eat horse feed when they are hungry and have nothing else left for them to eat. As a result, the goat will be more determined to steal horse feed from the horse.
Can you mix horse feed with other treats for the goats?
Yes, you can mix horse feed together with other treats that will supply the goat with an adequate amount of food nutrients to the goats.
If it is good to have basic knowledge of the basic treat mixture for the goats. This will help to prevent you from serving your goats with the wrong food proportion unknowingly.
You can also mix other treat like alfalfa pellet the horse feed in order to balance high calcium present in the horse feed.
Can horse feed make goats faint?
Horse feed can probably make a goat faint if it happens that they are gorging on it and later overfeed on the feed.
This may lead to bloating as the rumen of the goats will be working extra hard to get rid of the excessive minerals absorbed from eating horse feed.
The goat may end up developing seizures and faint as a result.
How can I stop my goat from stealing horse treats?
Goats are notorious when it comes to stealing feed especially from order animals in the same pen as them.
If your goats found the horse palatable, they will always steal from the horse anytime you serve them the feed.
You can prevent your goats from stealing horse feed by serving them some of the favorite treats they can't resist whenever you want to serve the horse feed to the horse.
Once you have done this, the goat will have no time to think of stealing the horse feed while they are having their favourite treat.
You can devise a feeding mechanism for the horse much higher from the direct reach of the goats so that they will not have a chance to steal horse feed from the horse.
Conclusion
Horse feed is good and safe for the goats but you have to be watchful and picky about the horse feed you are going to feed your goats.
You should stay away from feeding your goats with horse feed that has a high phosphorus and calcium ratio.
Stay away from serving your goats with horse feed that has a higher percentage of copper.
Source: https://azrapets.com/can-goats-eat-horse-feed/
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