# Waste Hay and Alfalfa Stems



## duffontap (Jul 21, 2011)

It is universally known among goat people that our buddies waste hay.  But, after a couple years of having goats I still twitch when I see one of the goats grab a huge mouthful of hay or alfalfa and watch 60% of it fall on the ground while they chew it.  We have a modified keyhole feeder to help limit waste, which is something we can get away with since we only keep 2-4 goats at a time (and they're Oberhaslis so they get along like angels  ), but we still throw away what seems like mountains of hay because it touches the ground and the goats won't touch it anymore.  Additionally, two hours after I throw a large flake of fresh orchard grass or timothy into the feeder, there is a fluffy mound of loose hay piled above the feeder that is left from the goats picking through and eating all the leafy parts and leaving the stemmy parts.  At this point, the goats will nibble at what's left, but they have to be pretty hungry to eat everything in the feeder.  

What I'm wondering is, how much hay are you others willing to throw out?  Do you make your milking does eat the alfalfa stems, or just the nutrient-dense leaves?  Do you wait until the feeder is empty to refill it, or do you regularly or occasionally empty the feeder and throw out the leftovers, or use them as bedding?  

At the moment, we only have two goats so this isn't a financial issue--the milk and companionship more than pays for their food.  We're mostly curious about what the more experienced goat herders are doing.


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## PattySh (Jul 21, 2011)

I don't feed alfalfa but the wasted grass hay under the feeders  goes to our cow or horses or is thrown to the pigs for bedding. Nothing wasted here .


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## SuburbanFarmChic (Jul 22, 2011)

We have 8 goats/sheep and a mix of breeds and ages.  Ours get a big junk round bale to nibble and play king of the mountain on and then they I have a hay racks, 1 inside and 1 outside, that I split a square bale between.  They also have pasture/browse stuff.  They have to pretty much finish off a square bale to get another tossed in there.   What they truly won't eat goes to the chickens.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Jul 22, 2011)

When my bucks aren't getting much alfalfa (they're getting plenty right now because they're in rut and burning calories) I pull the stems out of the doe feeder and give them to the bucks.  Because their alfalfa is limited and they don't have a choice about picking out the leafy bits they snarf the stems.  During the cooler months we purchase bermuda round bales.  We store it where they can't get on it and just stuff it in the manger by the armload.  It's far cheaper per pound, so they can waste as much as they like.  Then we feed as much alfalfa as they will consume without wasting it like crazy.


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## freemotion (Jul 22, 2011)

A bale of straw here costs almost what a bale of good hay costs, and more than cheap hay.  Wasted hay is bedding.  I also do all my gardens, lawn, and pasture organically so there is never enough compost with only five goats, so I no longer resent wasted hay.  I still have less compost with 5+ goats (kids part of the year) than I did with one horse, although the horse did not waste hay, there was a LOT of purchased bedding required and a lot of stall cleaning to do, even in a run-in shed situation.  So it all works out.

On the rare occasion when I can get my hands on a few bales of straight alfalfa,  I shake out the flakes in a big tub and put the stems in the racks.  They get the precious leaf in feed tubs.  But I have a tiny herd.


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## duffontap (Jul 24, 2011)

I'm amazed at how diverse and resourceful you all are.  Yesterday, for the first time, we took some spent hay and bedding to the transfer station.  With our small property, we just can't seem to compost it fast enough to use it in the gardens.  Thanks for your thoughts!  JD


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## 20kidsonhill (Jul 25, 2011)

I don't find any hay wasted is acceptable, straw is a much cheaper bedding,we  have built our hay feeders with this in mind, and we have very little wasted hay. I also only feed what they clean up in between feedings, which are AM and PM feedings. It is pretty much free-choice, since I don't want it to run out right away, just want it to be gone by the next feeding.  

OUr hay feeders are a little work to build but, have held up for years, and since they don't waste hay, they pay for themselves over time. A little heavy to move around, we normally slip them on a bucket of our small garden tractor, but my husband and I can relocate one by ourselves in need be, slowly, but we can. 

photos is of the outside of it, facing out of the pen, where we put the hay in,








Inside of it where the goats eat out of, The bottom pan can also be used to feed grain, but it needs to be scraped before putting the grain in it. Hay always leaves a little dirt behind. 







two feeders lined up with dividing boards coming out 8 feet, to keep does from fighting, "We average 20 does.


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## aggieterpkatie (Jul 25, 2011)

I get very little waste with alfalfa when I feed outside, since it is very similar to one of these style feeders  and they clean up leaves that fall in the pan.  Plus, if I see they still have any hay in their feeder I'll wait to feed more until they finish it.  I do get more waste in the winter since I mostly feed in their shelter and those feeders are modified wall hay feeders for horses (with horizontal bars welded in so they don't waste as much), but since it's in the shelter that's my primary bedding (with straw added as needed).


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## duffontap (Jul 28, 2011)

I have got to build a new feeder!  Thanks for the inspiration.  I'll post pics here when I get around to building it.


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## kstaven (Jul 29, 2011)

Nice feeder. Goats waste a lot of feed without a good feeder.


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## Roll farms (Jul 29, 2011)

kstaven said:
			
		

> Nice feeder. Goats waste a lot of feed without a good feeder.


Truer words were never spoken.


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## Pearce Pastures (Jul 29, 2011)

OOOOOoooo, i just showed your feeder to DH-we like!!!  We have tried three different ways to feed hay and none of them have been too great.  Think we might be using yours as a model


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## kstaven (Jul 29, 2011)

Have you ever tried running your hay through a wood chipper and feed it that way?


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## 20kidsonhill (Jul 30, 2011)

kstaven said:
			
		

> Have you ever tried running your hay through a wood chipper and feed it that way?


I've always wanted to do that. I watched a video clip on Youtube and found it very interesting.


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## Ariel72 (Aug 4, 2011)

20kids, what kind of wire did you use in your feeders?  Is it cattle panels that you've cut down?  Would cattle panels work or would they get horned heads stuck?


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## Dreaming Of Goats (Aug 4, 2011)

Oberhaslis sure do get along like angels  The farm I lease from has around 20 of them, and they feed hay in an outdoor feeder. All leftovers are thrown out into the pasture to hopefully help sprout some more hay


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## 20kidsonhill (Aug 4, 2011)

Ariel72 said:
			
		

> 20kids, what kind of wire did you use in your feeders?  Is it cattle panels that you've cut down?  Would cattle panels work or would they get horned heads stuck?


It is NOT cattle panel, I beleive it is goat panel the 4" squares.


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## freemotion (Aug 4, 2011)

kstaven said:
			
		

> Have you ever tried running your hay through a wood chipper and feed it that way?


I thought my goats WERE wood chippers........

I saw a youtube vid once of an old lawnmower mounted on top of a trash can, with a hole cut in the top to feed fresh cornstalks into the running blades.  Instant corn chopper.


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## ThreeBoysChicks (Aug 4, 2011)

My goats, sheep and horses live together.  I feed them hay twice a day and once the goats and sheep are finished, the horses clean up what is left.  I have virtually no waste.

Works great in the pasture as well.  The goats eat the weeds, the horses eat the grass and the sheep even everything out.


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