# Should I be feeding Alfalfa Cubes/Pellets?



## lupinfarm (Sep 18, 2009)

My goats are on grass hay with a bit of clover mixed in (higher quality horse hay). I don't have access to any alfalfa hay this year. 

Should I be feeding an alfalfa pellet or alfalfa hay cubes (soaked)? 

Currently they get 2 cups each of Rolling Acres Goat Ration, but the weather is getting cooler, should I start increasing their ration? I found a supplier for Purina Goat Chow, which I believe is a pellet, how much of this should they be getting if I decide to switch? (which I think I might). 

I have 2 Pygmy/Pygmy X does, 6 mos and 2 yrs


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## kimmyh (Sep 18, 2009)

If you can't get alfalfa hay, I would feed the pellets. Cubes plus water equals heat, which grows bacteria, and I wouldn't want to go that route. Also cubes can choke a goat, so again, I would lean toward pellets.


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## lupinfarm (Sep 18, 2009)

How much should I feed? and Should I feed it with their regular feeding? They share the 2 cups twice a day right now but only because we aren't in a situation where we can easily tie them up (their little barn is not finished being built! Poor things live outside in a dog run right now).


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## lilhill (Sep 18, 2009)

Alfalfa hay is scarce around here, so I feed mine a cup of alfalfa pellets per feeding twice a day, mixed in with their grain.  They also have free choice grass hay and pasture.


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## cmjust0 (Sep 18, 2009)

Depending on how much clover's in the grass mix, you may not necessarily need the alfalfa.  Clover is also a legume, and if you look at the nutritional values (table 5) on it, it's very close to alfalfa.  High protein, high calcium, low phosphorus.

Personally, I love clover/grass mix hay.  I'll take all of it I can get my grubby little paws on because I know it to be comparable to alfalfa/orchardgrass mix, but it's usually priced like straight grass hay.  I can get it for $4/bale, versus the $6.50+/bale I'd be paying for alfalfa/orchard grass...which most of the time is about 80% orchard grass..  



Not to mention, pure alfalfa that's fine and green is like $8+/bale here, and as far as I'm concerned, it's unbalanced...  The protein in a bale like that could be as high as the lower mid 20s, and the Ca ratio is like 6:1 or something crazy like that..  That's too much of a good thing, IMO.. 

I guess what I'm getting at is that if you're feeding a high quality legume/grass mix hay, and if you're already adding two full cups of grain each per day for supplementation...I'd leave it at that for now.  To me, that sounds like _plenty_ enough for a goat to get along well.

And remember also that even with all the data on nutrional values and availability of bagged feed and so forth, at the end of the day, it's still "the eye of the master that fatteneth the calf."

In other words...just keep an eye on them.  If it turns out that legume/grass hay free choice and two cups of grain are causing them to slowly lose weight, you can always start making adjustments.  

Just my $0.02.


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## lupinfarm (Sep 18, 2009)

Thanks CM, since we get pretty frigid here and there will be no grass available for them (actually, right now they're just on hay and grain because their field isn't ready, I feel bad but shh). Should I consider a bit of alfalfa pellet in the winter, on those nasty nasty days?


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## cmjust0 (Sep 18, 2009)

If you're talking strictly bodyheat, breaking down forage creates more heat than breaking down grain..  I would consider alfalfa pellets to be more akin to grain in that respect, just because it's pelleted...even though it's alfalfa, there's no long fiber to be broken down in the rumen, and that's the process that generates the heat.  That said, there's really nothing more to be done than provide plenty of free-choice hay -- the courser the better, in fact! -- so far as keeping a goat's rumen going so it doesn't freeze to death.

Beyond that, what I'd be looking at is overall body condition..  If I noticed that they were starting to lose weight and I couldn't get alfalfa hay to incorporate more protein into the long fiber they must have to generate body heat, I'd basically be left to begin adjusting the protein supplementation strategy..

Protein supplementation could be accomplished through alfalfa pellets, more grain, or even a protein tub...but the key is that those aren't just 'really cold day' precautions, but something I'd begin to incorporate to stop the loss of condition.


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## lupinfarm (Sep 29, 2009)

Okay so I went to my local Co-op because I was in the area and bought my chicken food there that day and I asked for alfalfa pellets because I felt they needed something in their diets and the co-op gave me cubes. This co-op doesn't take returns and frankly I don't have the gas to go back so I'm soaking the cubes in hot water until my orientation tomorrow at Chapters when I can get real pellets from the TSC store. I've alotted 3 cubes each for the girls, and the outcome is kind of like a nice hot mash. They LOVED it.


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## mully (Sep 30, 2009)

I have fed cubes just dry and it gives them something to chew on. I would not add water to soften them. Pellets are easier but cubes are fine.


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## goat lady (Sep 30, 2009)

We give the cubes to our rabbits, but sometimes I crumble them up and put them in hand to give to the goats. I just don't know about giving them the whole cube because of choaking on it. The rabbits chew on it till it is gone.  Has anyone ever given a goat the whole cube? Dry.  They are the mini Alfaya cubes.   Thanks


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## lupinfarm (Sep 30, 2009)

We used to feed the cubes to our horse dry until he choked on one. After that they were soaked. 

I'm buying the pellets today and feeding the rest of the cubes to Luna. I'd rather she be a bit overweight going into the winter because she is on pasture 24/7.


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## birdkeeper2 (Oct 10, 2009)

I feed our goats the cubes but cut them up in 1/2 in chards by using the  claw end of a hammer.  It doesn't take long to do this way. I too worried about them choking on the cubes (esp. if they were hungry).  I keep the water full so they can help themselves.  I never thought of mixing it with water.  However I would want them to take more time eating and would be afraid they would eat too fast if it were soft  Do you think this is incorrect?


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## kimmyh (Oct 10, 2009)

If you are feeding cubes, you might ask your feed store to order you the flakes, they are pieces of the cubes, thin slices.


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## Mini-M Ranch (May 14, 2010)

Resurrecting this ancient thread with a question...

I normally buy alfalfa pellets and mix 50 pounds pellets with 150 goat grain for our grain ration.  I sent dear husband to Southern States for feed today and he asked for alfalfa pellets.  They said, "What are you feeding it to?"  He told them goats.  They said, "Oh, you must mean cubes."  He figured they knew what they were talking about and went with that. 

So, now I have a 40 pound bag of alfalfa cubes, no alfalfa pellets...and I am not sure what to do with the cubes.  I always feed to girls on stanchion.  Can I break the cubes up and put them in their food dish? Or soak them in their dish?  If I soak them, can I mix the other grain in with it or let them eat the wet alfalfa and then give them the dry grain.


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## cmjust0 (May 14, 2010)

Or...send DH back to Southern States with the bag of cubes to exchange them for pellets.  

Honestly, though....no clue.


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## currycomb (May 14, 2010)

our goats love the soaked cubes would leave the grain mix for the cubes, but they had beet pulp added to the soaked cubes. was kinda sloppy, but they would pick their heads up and their little mouths were all green. fed this during the cold months, it increased their water consumption and uped the calorie intake without increasing the grain. also added this to the goats going to 4-h, had the best looking goats there, daughter has the trophies to back that up.


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## lupinfarm (May 14, 2010)

My girls liked soaked alfalfa cubes in the winter as well, and I suppose if you have a quick eater on the milkstand soaking the cubes would be a good way to slow them down while you milk  Or, as cmjust0 said, send DH back to return the cubes. They should most certainly take them back and replace since they gave you the wrong thing.


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## Aped (May 18, 2010)

I bought cubes and I mix them in their food. When I have to mix more food I just get a whole bunch of cubes on the shed floor and either get a hammer or a piece of 2 x 4 and break them up. Once they're loosened I pull them apart by hand into little flakes and toss them in my little trashcan feed container to mix with the goat pellets. This way the cubes are safe and easy for them to eat. 

It might sound like a lot of work but it only takes me about 10 - 15 min to do two or three 3qt scoops full. and I only do that every few weeks. I think cubes are better than the pellets too since with the cubes, you can still tell what they are actually made of.


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