Wet Weather Goats

[hihobaron]

Yeah, I was thinking volume too, not weight. One 8 oz can = 1 cup of grain. 3 - 4 cans/day = 1.5 - 2 cups of grain/day per goat. That's a lot for any wether to consume unless he really needs the calories like my old guy does. Dave has been raising goats a whole lot longer than I have and I trust his wisdom when he says "no grain for wethers." Alfalfa pellets are a great alternative and most goats are as eager for them as for sweet feed, so it makes a great "Thanks for coming when I call!" treat. 

I don't use alfalfa cubes for goats. They're too big for a goat to chew comfortably unless soaked first. I would also recommend soaking the beet pulp if you feed it. It can be a choking hazard if fed dry, and I think feeding it dry could cause it to absorb too much moisture from the rumen while digesting. It's always best to err on the side of giving too much liquid than not enough.

I've never used diatomaceous earth so I can't comment on that. We have very few worm issues where I live because of the dry climate and the large amount of above-ground browse available, so I only treat for worms on an as-needed and per-goat basis. 

RE: Halters. My favorite halters are from Sopris Unlimited. They generally seem to fit the best because of the little rings below the noseband. To get the proper fit, measure around the nose just below the cheekbones. I also like to add a halter handle to mine to make it easier to grab a goat on the fly. Handles are also easy to make at home if you don't want to buy one.

Hello Nanno
What Sopris calls a Halter handle I have used for years on young horses in halter training It is called a "Cowboy Lead"
It lets you reach out "without" grabbing for the head that they are going to spook from. Same idea works on goats I think. 
I am lucky the boy's here have good manners about getting caught, actually it is more getting them to stay away when I need to work.
I splice up my own when needed from 5/8 " layed soft nylon rope with a good heavy snap to hook to the halter. it gets hooked into the halter and left there till they are easy to catch. About 12 inches long. Then the halters come off too. It is not something they can step on or tangle in.
I also make my own lead ropes with spliced in snaps (bull) and back spliced at the other end 10 feet long. 
The  back splice at the free end of the lead keeps the line from unraveling but also lets you know by "Feel" that you are at the end of the line.   
BTY: I do not like the flat web nylon design of the Sopris  lead.
I have the scars from flat nylon leads that will burn you or cut you to prove it.
Thanks for the way to measure for a goat halter.
Happy Trails
hihobaron