Pellet free goats?

[GBov]

I am only trying to get the info now but not having much luck. So I thought you folks might be able to help me?

We have three Nubian does and, not this year but perhaps next, want to have them pellet free.

They just today got expanded onto 2 acres of heavy mid Florida scrub land, grape, cat briar, saw palmetto, pine, oak and grasses and weeds. Weeds more than grass and lots of sand.

This year for the bunnies I am planting sweet potatoes, perennial peanuts, corn, beets, radishes, cana lilies and what ever weeds want to join the party.

How much per day of the above would keep a dairy goat in full production? And what else would you plant to fill any extra needs?

 

[Rainey]

We took our dairy goats off pelleted goat feed over a year ago, prompted by starting with rabbits and feeding them naturally. We planned to do it more slowly but got a bag of bad feed--goats wouldn't eat it at all. Started giving them a mix of oats, wheat and sunflower seeds along with hay in winter, pasture and browse is summer. They get lots of willow and brambles--like our rabbits. Also field peas, buckwheat, clover that has been grown as cover crops in our garden.
Our seasons are so different. You must be able to provide fresh feed year round. We make our own hay--mix of grasses with clover and vetch. The goats as well as the rabbits get dried willow, roots and wheat grown out to fodder in the winter. As with rabbits, a salt/mineral supplement is important when they aren't eating commercial feed.
Don't know if that is any help given our respective locations.

 

[the reluctant farmer]

GBov, I think one thing you may need to do is supplement with minerals--not because of the natural feed, but if I'm not mistaken the sandy soil in FL is naturally low in some essential minerals, and that may make it hard for the does to keep producing milk. Michaels4gardens might be able to help with that, since he lived in FL before, I and seem to remember him mentioning it before. Sorry I don't have the answer but wanted to bring this up because of your region and hoped it would ring a bell with goat folks.