HAY: THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH SOUND NUTRITION IS BUILT

Always TEST The Hay

The following is a TRUE STORY, told for the purpose of illustrating the importance of the contents of this article.

During the winter of 2004-2005, this writer unintentionally starved her goats -- particularly kids born in early- to mid-2004 -- by feeding beautiful-looking custom-raised hay that turned out to be only 4.4% protein.

The year 2004 in West Texas was unusually wet. The annual rainfall was more than double the normal amount. Adult goats that never experienced problems with stomach worms were wormy and sometimes anemic; some young weaned kids died. Fortunately no does were lactating, so no nursing kids were affected. Goats on forage/pasture were provided with free-choice red-top cane (broad-leaf sudangrass) and Sweetlix #988 blocks. These products provided insufficient nutrition for this abnormal winter.

Goat nutritionist Kent Mills of HiPro Feeds offered his assistance. Hay was sampled and sent for testing. The results were eye-opening to this producer: 4.9% protein (4.4% protein "as fed"). The only saving grace was that the Energy level was .53. This was enough to keep the adults going but not the growing coming yearlings.

A local source of red-top cane was located; hay was purchased and immediately provided to the goats. This hay producer had tested her product: 10.75% protein, .68 Energy, and 65.62% TDN (Total Digestible Nutrients). Supplemental protein in readily available form was purchased and provided to the goats to boost nutrition levels. For forage/pasture animals, 20% protein sheep-and-goat blocks were offered. These 33-pound blocks do not have sufficient copper and other minerals for goats, but they do have easy-to-eat and highly-digestible feedstuff; the plan was to feed them for a few months until the goats had caught up on their protein deficiencies. One sheep-and-goat 20% protein block per 10 goats was provided. Sweetlix's 20% protein blocks with minerals and vitamins added (#988) were offered free-choice side-by-side with the sheep-and-goat blocks on a 1:4 ratio (one Sweetlix block to 4 sheep-and-goat blocks) to keep mineral and vitamin balances correct.

Between January 7, 2005 and March 7, 2005, this producer has fed 14 tons (60 blocks per ton) of sheep-and-goat blocks to about 1000 animals. For goats in large pens with access to small pastures (lactating does who had just kidded as the problem was discovered, old does, old bucks, and sick animals), HiPro's Excelerator 16% protein pelleted goat feed has been fed daily. After 60 days of sleepless nights on this producer's part, Spring is arriving, green plants and grasses are showing up in the pastures, and the goats are slowing down on hay and protein block consumption. The blocks will, however, continue to be offered free choice until the pastures dry out and the plant materials have more available nutrition and less water in them.

As this problem was being recognized at Onion Creek Ranch, the writer was getting calls and emails from producers around the country who were having similar problems. One lady said that she had lost five young bucks for no apparent reason. Her husband cut them open and the rumens were filled with undigested hay and plant materials. What had gone wrong? Answer: The goats were not receiving enough protein in their diet to produce microbes that would break down the fiber in their rumens, so they were starving to death on a full stomach. Enterotoxemia unknowingly induced by the producer!

Subsequent investigation has revealed that much of the United States received higher than normal levels of rainfall in 2004, resulting in plant materials high in water content but lower than normal in nutritional value. This writer's hay supplier of many years did everything as he normally did, including properly fertilizing the crop. The heavy rains leached both fertilizer and nutrients from his production.

MORAL OF THE STORY: HAY is the FOUNDATION of your feeding program. Always, always, always have it professionally tested. This writer has *lucked out* for 14 years by not testing hay, but the winter of 2004-2005 was a nutritional disaster. Never fail to test your hay. If you are fortunate enough to have sufficient forage and don't have to feed hay, have the forage tested. Do this every year. Conditions change from year to year that may require modifications to your nutrition programs.

Nothing is more complicated or more important in raising goats in any "managed" operation than proper nutrition. Consult a qualified goat nutritionist and have your conditions analyzed. It isn't expensive and goat nutritionists are not that hard to find. They don't even have to be local, but it is better. Get on the Internet or ask a neighbor. Do it yesterday.

There are numerous forage testing labs around the country. This writer's goat nutritionist uses and recommends DAIRY ONE INC's Foraging Testing Lab, 730 Warren Road, Ithaca, New York 14850. Telephone number 607-257-1272. Most labs provide collection packets for mailing with instructions on how to collect the samples. Current cost in early 2005 for hay testing is about $40.00. Money well spent!

The author, Suzanne Gasparotto, hereby grants to local goat publications and club newsletters, permission to reprint articles published on the Onion Creek Ranch website under these conditions: THE ARTICLE MUST BE REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY AND THE AUTHOR'S NAME, ADDRESS, AND CONTACT INFORMATION MUST BE INCLUDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE REPRINT. Acknowledgement must also be made that the articles were first published in GOAT RANCHER Magazine, for which Suzanne Gasparotto writes exclusively. We would appreciate notification from any clubs or publications when the articles are used. (A copy of the newsletter or publication would also be a welcome addition to our growing library of goat related information!)

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