# Alfalfa pellets



## Aped (Jun 19, 2010)

Okay what's the deal with Alfalfa pellets? I'm sure this has been discussed before but are they 'free' like hay or should they be limited like grain? I was feeding my doe as much sweet feed as she wanted on the milking stand but then decided to start feeding her alfalfa pellets on the stand because her poop wasn't right and I thought it was too much grain.


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## freemotion (Jun 19, 2010)

They are almost "free" in that they are a great way to slow the doe down on the stand.  I sit on a five gallon pail of alfalfa pellets when I milk so there are always more nearby in case I'm having a slow day and she is having a Hoover day!  I also add a little soaked beet pulp to slow her down even more.  I give a double handful of grain twice a day.

They are not "free" in that the goats still need to have the bulk of their food be long-fiber stemmy hay/pasture/browse so that their rumens will work correctly.  So you don't want an entire diet of alfalfa pellets to replace hay.  Not that anyone would, just sayin'.


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## aggieterpkatie (Jun 19, 2010)

Free is right, they're in no way a replacement for long fiber roughage like hay.  Alfalfa pellets are pretty much like grain.  They're easily broken down and high in protein so high amounts can cause the rumen to go a little crazy.  Add in the short fiber length, which doesn't take as much cud chewing, which in turn reduces the amount of saliva buffering the rumen, and you can get a good opportunity for acidosis to occur.


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## Aped (Jun 19, 2010)

Oh great thanks. They definitely do slow her down mixed with the remaining sweet feed. I might just have to keep using the sweet feed but mixing it with the pellets instead of replacing entirely because it seems like she won't go for that. I was originally mixing crushed alfalfa cubes. They love those but after a while, she would start kicking after she ran out of the sweet feed, ignoring the cubes.  And yet if she's off the stand she'll tackle me to get some of them. I guess there's a time and a place for all types food in a goat's mind.


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## Roll farms (Jun 19, 2010)

I have one doe who will pick the corn out of her grain mix (that everyone else eats all of) and stomp her feet until I give her another scoop to pick through.
I've started keeping a bucket under the feeder on the stand to catch the feed she rejects while looking for corn.
Every goat seems to have their own little quirks....


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## glenolam (Jun 21, 2010)

I mix 2 50# bags of regular grain, 1 50# bag of sweet feed and 25# of alfalfa pellets in a huge container and that's what I give to my goats.  I find the alfalfa helps the digestive track and the sweet feed keeps my doe interested in her grain more so I can milk at my pace, not hers.


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## treeclimber233 (Aug 14, 2010)

Has anyone ever fed hay-stretcher to their goats?


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## stano40 (Aug 14, 2010)

glenolam said:
			
		

> I mix 2 50# bags of regular grain, 1 50# bag of sweet feed and 25# of alfalfa pellets in a huge container and that's what I give to my goats.  I find the alfalfa helps the digestive track and the sweet feed keeps my doe interested in her grain more so I can milk at my pace, not hers.


What type of grain do you use?

bob


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## glenolam (Aug 30, 2010)

Hey stano - Sorry I didn't reply...I must have missed that one.

I buy Dumor brand from TSC.  I buy the regular grain and the Dumor sweet feed.  Here's the link to a picture of the regular grain:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/livest...-goat-feed/dumor-reg-goat-feed-50-lb--5078058


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## stano40 (Aug 30, 2010)

What I use for grain is a mixture of different grains and feeds for my goats.  They get fed this mixture once a day and they get hay, whatever I pull from the garden or they just browse around for awhile.

This is their primary grain.







I buy 50# bags of:

whole oats
steamed barley (when they are in milk)
rice bran or wheat bran
calf manna
10% Boss

sprinkle yeast flakes or what I like to do sometimes is mix in blue seal feeds sunshine plus which has the yeast added into it.

I also started adding

beet pulp pellets
alfalfa pellets

They free choice - 

redman salt
manna pro goat mineral
baking soda

I think I got it all.

I used to feed just pellets but found they were wasting a lot or just not eating very well.

When I went to this grain mixture they went nuts for it and didn't want just plain pellets. 

Found this mixture on another dairy goat farm and added a few extras.  Thought I would give it a try for the 10 goats I have.

bob


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## cmjust0 (Aug 30, 2010)

What's the Ca ratio on all that?


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## stano40 (Aug 30, 2010)

Here's how I mix it.  Of course my neighbors probably think I'm wacko because I mix this all in a new kids plastic swimming pool with a new hoe to stir it all in.

This is the proportion's to what I mix

(1) 50# bag of whole oats
(1) 50# bag steamed barley (when they are in milk)
 About 20% (I have a large scoop I use and put in 4 scoops full, about 20%) rice bran or wheat bran
(1) 50# bag calf manna
10% Boss

Sprinkle yeast flakes or what I like to do sometimes but not always is mix in blue seal feeds sunshine plus which has the yeast added into it. If I use the blue seal feed (sunshine plus) I mix in (1) 50# bag

I also started adding

(1/2) bag of beet pulp pellets
(1/2) bag of alfalfa pellets  
1 50# bag of sweet feed (forgot to add that one in.  Sometimes I'll split the bag in half per mixture.)

Stir it all up in the pool and shovel it into storage bins

I buy everything from TSC except the barley which I get from Blue Seed Feed store.  TSC doesn't carry the barley in my area.

When we buy our feed we buy (2) 50# bags oat, barley (for milk production), sweet feed & calf manna.  Then 1 bag of each of the other feeds we need.  It should last a month with only 1 feeding per day and the hay and browse to supplement during the rest of the day.

So far everybody loves the mixture and is doing well on it.  The babies gain good weight and the does in milk seem to produce better milk.

bob


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## Goatlady10 (Oct 11, 2010)

I am new at raising goats, but already can't imagine my life without them.  I've got the free choice minerals down, but I'm wondering if anyone has a suggestion how to free choice baking soda so it won't harden or clump.  I don't have a barn, just two shelters for my 11 goats, mostly Boers and a three Nubians.  Thanks

Oops! Just realized I put this in the wrong place.  Disregard, I reposted it where it should be. Sorry.


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## Greendecember (Nov 29, 2010)

stano40 said:
			
		

> (1) 50# bag of whole oats
> (1) 50# bag steamed barley (when they are in milk)
> About 20% (I have a large scoop I use and put in 4 scoops full, about 20%) rice bran or wheat bran
> (1) 50# bag calf manna
> ...


Wow, all the options! Thanks for the info. I find they don't like the commercial pellets much but will eat them if that is what they get. They LOVE corn chops. Maybe the mixture of whole grains will be better for them and they will like it better.


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