# Sunshine plus pellets - opinions please!



## chubbydog811 (Aug 26, 2012)

I am looking to get a supplemental grain to help my dairy girls gain weight/look better during lactation. 
Info you need to know:

Goat #1: Daisy. American Saanen. 3 years.
Producing about a 1/2 gallon/day. I'm working on drying her up. 
Eating (twice a day):
1/2 cup alfalfa pellets (she's not too fond of them)
4-6 cups 18% sweet goat (poulin)
2 cups 20% Premium Dairy goat pellets (blue seal) - cut her back on this when I started drying her up. 
Free choice minerals
Free choice hay
Pasture

Goat #2: Victoria. American Saanen. 2 years.
Producing about 3/4 gallon/day. 
Eating (twice a day):
2 cups alfalfa pellets
4-6 cups 18% sweet goat
2-4 cups 20% dairy pellets
Free choice minerals
Free choice hay
Pasture

A couple notes: 
A cup is an actual measuring cup (I weighed out the grain when first bought and feed them the recommended amount as per the bag)
If they want more feed, I throw them an extra 2-4 cups of sweet feed. They pretty much get grain until they are done - usually only a total of 8-10 cups.

Both have soft/shiny coats, but are under weight. I have dewormed them, and it didn't help - they have nice pellets for poop, so I wasn't too worried about worms in the first place.

I am looking into the Sunshine Plus pellets (blue seal) as a supplement.
Any yes or no's as to using them, and why?
If no, what else would you feed that is better to accomplish the same thing?


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## currycomb (Aug 26, 2012)

this is a bit of work, but our goats would eat this before their sweet feed, and is actually better for them as it is roughage. get alfalfa hay cubes, size does not matter as they will be soft for eating when done. a bag of shredded beet pulp. we used a 5 gal bucket. fill half full with cubes and pulp, 70 % cubes, 30% pulp. fill bucket with water and place out of sun and away from ant trails. after a few hours is ready to feed. will resemble slop, but pour into feed tubs. it will take them a bit to get used to it, so start with small amounts, and make fresh daily, it does sour. our milking goats looked soooo gooood. you can also add a bit of red cell just to boost everything


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## chubbydog811 (Aug 26, 2012)

currycomb said:
			
		

> this is a bit of work, but our goats would eat this before their sweet feed, and is actually better for them as it is roughage. get alfalfa hay cubes, size does not matter as they will be soft for eating when done. a bag of shredded beet pulp. we used a 5 gal bucket. fill half full with cubes and pulp, 70 % cubes, 30% pulp. fill bucket with water and place out of sun and away from ant trails. after a few hours is ready to feed. will resemble slop, but pour into feed tubs. it will take them a bit to get used to it, so start with small amounts, and make fresh daily, it does sour. our milking goats looked soooo gooood. you can also add a bit of red cell just to boost everything


Thanks for that! I don't think my girls will eat it though - they snuff both alfalfa cubes and beat pulp. I can try it again, but I'm thinking they won't eat it :/ 
What type of goats do you have though? I've found this line of Saanens are VERY hard to keep weight on while milking. Harder than most breeds. I never had this problem with Nubians and Alpines!

Whoever said goats will eat anything, never actually owned a goat! lol


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