# Chaffhaye anyone?!



## Alexz7272 (Sep 15, 2016)

Alrighty! I have seen snippets about Chaffhaye here and there in the forums and thought it might be beneficial to start a thread specifically about it for those of us interested in it. 
If you use it could you please let us know your experiences, which livestock you use it for and if you'd recommend it? Of course it will be different for everyone, but I know it would be awesome to hear what everyone recommends. 
In my instance I am interested in possibly using it with my goats and sheep.

*You guys are awesome!* ​


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## OneFineAcre (Sep 15, 2016)

We have fed it to our goats.  They love it.  There is very little waste unlike regular hay.

You need to use a bag within a certain time frame because it is moist and can get moldy.  (I've heard 3 days and I've heard 10 days, I can't remember what the bag says)

We quit because we got concerned about the issue of mold and at the time we had a mature doe that died.  Her death turned out to be not related.

I think we will probably use some this fall and winter.


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## NH homesteader (Sep 15, 2016)

I would be very interested to hear how long a bag lasts for opened as well as unopened.  I would like to look into using this in the cold weather months (which are many in NH!) but the closest dealer is an hour away,  and I have no other reason to drive up that direction. So it is only worth it if I can buy in larger quantities. 

It's so cold here I wondered if I could use it along with hay (and do I still need grain?) and it would help them maintain weight and stay warm in the winter?


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## Alexz7272 (Sep 15, 2016)

@OneFineAcre  When you feed it, is that all you give as feed?


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## Alexz7272 (Sep 15, 2016)

@NH homesteader I  know on their website you can request a quote for large orders, http://chaffhaye.com/estimates/ 
Their website states an unopened bag is good for 16 months  but an opened bag only lasts 7-14 days. 
I've also heard that the molding is not as big an issue in drier states, such as here in Colorado. But again, I have absolutely no idea. So I am very curious about that as well!


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## NH homesteader (Sep 15, 2016)

Oh that would be nice! I only have 6 goats so might not qualify for their version of a large order! I'll have to look at their site and see the sizes of bags and recommended feeding so I know how fast I would go through a bag...  

Would it reduce how much  hay they need or is it just an add on?


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## Alexz7272 (Sep 15, 2016)

So I heard back from my 'local' dealer, they ask $13.75 a bag, $135 for 10 bags (save $2.50 ) or $510 for a pallet of 40 (save $40). So really curious about usage and storage


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## NH homesteader (Sep 15, 2016)

What size are the bags?


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## OneFineAcre (Sep 15, 2016)

Alexz7272 said:


> @OneFineAcre  When you feed it, is that all you give as feed?



No, it wasn't all we were feeding.  We were still giving free choice grass hay and some feed.
We were trying this in place of regular alfalfa hay we always supplement our milkers and kids with.

I do know a farm that feeds this and no other type of hay


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## Alexz7272 (Sep 15, 2016)

50 lbs


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## MaggieSims (Sep 15, 2016)

i WILL be trying this. I have a recovering milk goat who is suuuuper skinny and having teeth issues. I'm thinking this will be easier for her to consume. I have only one local supplier, who is actually new on the feed store scene. they sell it for 16 bucks for 50lbs. i should be getting some today. i will report back!


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## Alexz7272 (Sep 15, 2016)

@MaggieSims Yes please! Thank you!


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## WantonWoodsman (Sep 15, 2016)

Chaffhaye? Pardon me for doing my utmost best in sounding stupid, but is it silage or similar?


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## Alexz7272 (Sep 15, 2016)

@WantonWoodsman From my limited knowledge, and you do not sound stupid at all!,  it is like silage but not exactly? It retains more moisture and is made from Alfalfa. But I'm no expert, haha


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## frustratedearthmother (Sep 15, 2016)

http://chaffhaye.com/

You can probably find answers here.


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## WantonWoodsman (Sep 15, 2016)

Thank you. So it's alfalfa silage. The silage we buy here gets moldy within 4 days and buying smaller quantities is a no-no.


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## Southern by choice (Sep 15, 2016)

On lunch break so I have to be quick 

We were asked about Chaffhaye over the years but I had never used it had no experience with it and my biggest concern was it had molasses in it.
I am a NO MOLASSES in feed kinda gal! 
I guess this was a big concern for others as well and the company must have had many inquiries about it. They have since updated their site in regards to this.

Short end of it is there is only 2 Tablespoons in the bag and it is there so the good bacteria can survive. It is basically "haylage".

We were teaching udder care at a workshop for a regional event. One of the classes we had hoped to go to was the one on dairy goat nutrition. We ended up doing double classes so we couldn't attend nut many people we talked to realized their goats probably weren't getting all they needed. Alfalfa can be found here but a) it is expensive b) consistent quality is an issue.

After that we had so many calls about it we thought we'd investigate further. Talked with different people, the company, and our local distributor.

We decided to give it a go. This was winter 2016 We started this (I think) February may have been early March. 

It took the "herd mentality" for some to even try it ... once they all decided they liked it then it became part of our daily routine.

There a a few things to consider-

Terminology may play a role in this but several people I know that say "it is all I feed"  may not mean the same thing to me as it does to them. I hear ' ALL I feed'... but what some mean is they give no grain/pelleted feed but do have regular hay access. 

The feeding amount is a general suggestion NOT a hard rule.
This is important. Recently we were asked to evaluate a few kids. Two kids were fine, one kid was not. The small kid was less than half the size as the others, skinny, you could feel the spine and ribs easily and was clearly not as robust. After getting detail on the feeding schedule it became pretty evident what the problem was.
The owner fed Chaffhaye 2x day and put a small amount of hay out in the morning.  Unfortunately the chaff was being given according to weight of the animal. The problem... NOT ENOUGH. It was only enough to sustain. The kids needed MORE in order to grow. The two kids were eating all the hay up and the one was clearly getting nothing. 

The other factor is the hay was gone fast. The goats were basically having empty rumins all day. This is not good for the developing rumin. It also allow greater risk for bloat. Empty then suddenly full can cause bloat and twisting of the stomach.

Same case- the milking does really were not giving to their potential. If lactating then MORE is needed.

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As far as mold/bacteria

You do want to use this in a timely manner. Keeping bags cool is a must. When in doubt throw it out!  

While we used this we went through a bag every 2 days so no real worries for us. Others we know take 2 weeks, they just keep it sealed, and in a cooler location. 

----

How we used it-
As a supplement
Our goats still had hay, feed on milkstand, and they have lots of forage/grass once spring/summer jit so from May on they did not want as much of the Chaffe.

We discontinued the Chaff mid summer. We will return in fall.

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Observations-
Because we started in winter we saw a great increase in coat condition and overall condition within 1 month

Production IMO was not significantly changed so I don't buy into the increase in production aspect. We had 10 goats in milk- different breeds- different lines. No effect.

Our one goat (the fussy Lamancha) DID do far better with keeping her condition when on the chaffe... she prefers it over feed.

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Feeding Chaffhaye DOES NOT mean your goat will not need minerals or supplements. 
I have herd a few times that "you shouldn't copper, selenium etc because the Chaff has it all"
WRONG
It may be true for some but not for all. Know your region, your deficiencies. 

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We did have one bad lot and had a few goats get sick- I can expand on that later if anyone is interested... I have to get back- lunch is over. 

Personally I think this a gret supplemental "hay". NO WASTE! But I would never used this as my sole source of diet in my goats.


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## Bossroo (Sep 15, 2016)

A couple years ago I baught a few bags to feed  my as well as client horses (32 head ).  None would touch it , not even after I held back all feed for 2 days on my horses.  I gave the opened bags to my meighbor to feed sheep  ... nope , not one sheep would touch it.  I took the rest of the bags back and got a refund.  The feed store owner said he will not carry it anymore as he got too many returns.


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## NH homesteader (Sep 15, 2016)

It sounds to me like it isn't worth the hour drive for me,  personally.  I'll just stick with adding alfalfa pellets to the grain and my grass hay. Unless I end up with a goat that's not doing well on the feed I'm using.  Right now everyone looks great so I won't complicate matters! I don't like complications!


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## Southern by choice (Sep 15, 2016)

I really like it in the barn. NO WASTE HAY TO PICK UP! 

I do like that nutritionally it is consistent. 
That was a big reason we started with it.

Our one goat that has her "issues" does really well on this.

I also think this is very beneficial for those that may be going through a "season" of parasite issues. Needing to put some weight on without dumping grain into the goat, and for supplementing where people cannot find good quality hay.

We have to change our feeding regimen with the seasons. Summer our goats really like "all naturelle"  grass, leaves, whatever is growing. Winter everything goes dormant so we need to change things up a bit.

One thing we don't want is for our goats to sit around all day waiting for feed. If they aren't out eating off the land in the seasons they can then we are definitely feeding them too much.


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## MaggieSims (Sep 16, 2016)

@Southern by choice 

I still plan on trying this, particularly with Ali, my skinny doe. The feed store was closed yesterday by the time I got there, so I will be attempting to buy again today.


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## NH homesteader (Sep 18, 2016)

I am going to apologize in advance in case this starts a disagreement...  Lol

Is Chaffhaye OK for bucks and wethers? I've heard both ways about alfalfa in general.  My buckling needs to put some weight on and I don't want to pump him full of grain. Unless that's better? I don't know.


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## Goat Whisperer (Sep 18, 2016)

Chaffhaye is fine for bucks, we fed it to ours 

Its not the calcium that caused the UC, that is a common misconception. 

As long as your grain is balanced, put him on feed and Chaffhaye if you think he needs it.


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## NH homesteader (Sep 18, 2016)

Cool thanks! Unfortunately my wether,  who obviously shares a room with  him, lol,  gets fat off water. I'll have to split them up for feeding... And listen to the protests!


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## Kusanar (Sep 19, 2016)

I'm looking into this for one of my horses, he gets skinny in winter, this might be something I could add to his feed to boost his nutrition some without pumping him full of grain.


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## Mini Horses (Sep 19, 2016)

Don't know what feed you use but for many a Sr feed will help as it is NORMALLY lower carbs and has beet pulp for more forage.  I use Blue Seal Sentinel sr for my guys.   Got a whole lot of seniors, late 20 to early 30s.   Many cannot have hay.


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## Kusanar (Sep 19, 2016)

Mini Horses said:


> Don't know what feed you use but for many a Sr feed will help as it is NORMALLY lower carbs and has beet pulp for more forage.  I use Blue Seal Sentinel sr for my guys.   Got a whole lot of seniors, late 20 to early 30s.   Many cannot have hay.


I feed him senior in winter. I'm a little wiggy about feeding him too much, he colicked a few years ago and nearly had to put him down. Plus, he chokes, and if I keep the feed moist, he spits it everywhere then eats dirt trying to get the feed up.... he still has good teeth, just wasn't really meant to live


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## Mini Horses (Sep 19, 2016)

Choke is an issue with elders as they cannot chew.   My old ones that no long do well with grass are kept on short pasture, given the feed I mentioned, which is extruded, so the saliva moistens it easily.  It's almost like a puffed cereal for humans.  They get all the nutrition, forage, calories, etc.  Been my go to for years, with no issues.

I would not give chaff to these older ones here, choke would be a concern for me.  They don't have jaw teeth to chew it....gone or worm to far down.


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## Bossroo (Sep 19, 2016)

What I did in a situation like this, is to take alfalfa pellets and soak them in warm water, feed.  Worked really well.


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## babsbag (Sep 19, 2016)

I tried a couple bags of the chaffhaye and decided it was too difficult to feed when tossing it over a fence plus I didn't like having to deal with all the plastic bags. My goats ate it ok, I have very non-picky goats. I was just top dressing their normal alfalfa to see if they would eat it and in the middle of my very hot yet very dry summer in a very hot shed the stuff was moldy in two days. It wasn't worth it for me and cost about the same or maybe more than my alfalfa. 

I have year round access to very good alfalfa, tested and is dairy quality. The best growing region for alfalfa in the state is about 1.5 hours away and it is trucked here regularly. No reason for me to change what works as long as I can get good alfalfa at a reasonable (for here) cost. 

Also, with the chaffhaye you have to be very careful that you don't tear a bag while in storage.


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## misfitmorgan (Sep 20, 2016)

Sorry i have to say i find the Chaffhay thing really odd. 

I dont understand why you would pay so much for haylage with a little molasses added into it. Maybe we are just to used to seeing it up here where i live. Haylage is about $50/ton here which would makes 50lbs of it $1.25...silage is a little more expensive but not much like $65/ton. Haylage and silage is what they feed the dairy cows here.


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## NH homesteader (Sep 20, 2016)

Well I can't find alfalfa hay around here.  Or haylage,  which is a new word to me! So my choices are chaffhaye or alfalfa pellets.  I use grass hay primarily but need something extra for my little dude who needs some extra weight on him.


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## Green Acres Farm (Sep 20, 2016)

What causes urinary calculi is the incorrect calcium/phosphorus ratio which should be kept at 2-3/1. 

A lot of people think that alfalfa causes urinary calculi or grain causes urinary calculi, but it is the incorrect Ca/P ratio. Too much phosphorus can cause urinary calculi and too much calcium can, too.

The feed and minerals I use, both are already at a Ca/P ratio of 2/1 and both contain ammonium chloride which makes their urine slightly acidic so urine crystals don't form as easily.


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## Mini Horses (Sep 20, 2016)

Here's perfect example of what works where you are and what is available to you.   

Plus "handling" & storage can be considerations.   Large rolled hay may not be storable, moveable for some, temps may not allow others to use, cure, store.  But I love the input from so many different areas and resolves that do help others to be able to explore, consider, use, learn about these many options.  This is what community is about.


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## Bossroo (Sep 20, 2016)

NH homesteader said:


> Well I can't find alfalfa hay around here.  Or haylage,  which is a new word to me! So my choices are chaffhaye or alfalfa pellets.  I use grass hay primarily but need something extra for my little dude who needs some extra weight on him.


There you go ... alfalfa pellets !   Much cheaper as well as much easier to handle , store  and feed to the mouthfull.


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## misfitmorgan (Sep 20, 2016)

NH homesteader said:


> Well I can't find alfalfa hay around here.  Or haylage,  which is a new word to me! So my choices are chaffhaye or alfalfa pellets.  I use grass hay primarily but need something extra for my little dude who needs some extra weight on him.



They make "chop" up here as well and that is made with grass hay. They chop it all up just like you see on the chaffhaye website and cram it in long plastic tubes or under huge tarps weighted down usually with old tires. You might be able to find that available locally again it is mostly fed to cattle because it is easily digestible and keeps more weight on then dry hay alone. Haylage i actually hay silage, they also make silage out of corn, oats, wheat. Pretty much any grass, or cereal grain plant can be made into silage. 

I'm not sure if chaffhaye is 100% alfalfa i doubt it, haylage is usually alfalfa, trefoil and fescue or another grass. 

I know as with most companies the pictures on the website are very carefully cropped and taken at certain angles only. In reality the "premier" forage growing area is only grown in by this one company and has to have full irrigation or it would die. 

Most places in the us do have some sort of silage, haylage, chop etc.

We have contemplated making alfalfa pellets as we own a pellet machine...we figured out cost would be roughly 6 cents/lb so profit is huge and they use lower quality alfalfa and mixed/junk alfalfa for pellets so we can find that for cheap. Only thing is aside from adding another to do to the list...we dont feed alfalfa pellets to anything.


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## misfitmorgan (Sep 20, 2016)

Mini Horses said:


> Here's perfect example of what works where you are and what is available to you.
> 
> Plus "handling" & storage can be considerations.   Large rolled hay may not be storable, moveable for some, temps may not allow others to use, cure, store.  But I love the input from so many different areas and resolves that do help others to be able to explore, consider, use, learn about these many options.  This is what community is about.



They use silage sacks here mostly Mini....but lately i have been see these really odd smashed squares and i was told they are round bales fed thru some new kinda bale wrapper for making haylage/silage that actually compacts it all...so they are odd squatty looking square things and they stack up like large square bales.


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## Southern by choice (Sep 20, 2016)

Chaffhaye is 100% alfalfa from non gmo crops.
I would never give my goats the silage we have here that is made for cows. Far too many junk weeds and stuff not good for my goats.
Here they make silage from hayfields with junk hay... fields that they could never sell hay bales from.
Even my one vet said not to use the cow silage. The Chaff- fine.

We found a good deal of benefit from the chaff. Condition, coats, weights etc. We just don't need it in the forage months. Fall/winter it is advantageous for us because everything is dormant. No grass, no weeds, no foliage. It is a brown mess.


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## NH homesteader (Sep 20, 2016)

We have a white mess for winter! But tons of brush in the other seasons.  I think I'll try it for Storm and report back.  Even though I have to drive an hour to get it...  Ugh.


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## misfitmorgan (Sep 20, 2016)

Southern by choice said:


> Chaffhaye is 100% alfalfa from non gmo crops.
> I would never give my goats the silage we have here that is made for cows. Far too many junk weeds and stuff not good for my goats.
> Here they make silage from hayfields with junk hay... fields that they could never sell hay bales from.
> Even my one vet said not to use the cow silage. The Chaff- fine.
> ...



I wont get into the GMO thing.

Anyhow i was explaining what all silage is...not advising anyone to go find a cow farmer and ask for some unless you know what is in it. We have some good large scale dairy farms here that make quality haylage or silage.

If you can't get quality feed no matter the kind be it hay, forage, grain, etc that's a problem.

I've never used chaffhaye so i dont have an opinion on its possible benefits, i just doubt i would ever use it as the closest place to get it would be 3.5hrs one way and they actually sell it for deer feed.

i do understand that im lucky to live in a place that doesnt have a problem growing hay or keeping up with demand for our area.....which is why i cant wrap my head around the troubles you all face in other parts of the country trying to get good hay. It's just a foreign thing to me, so as i said originally i the chaffhaye thing odd. 

Seriously not buying that 100% alfalfa bit either.


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## babsbag (Sep 20, 2016)

I have never seen silage or haylage in CA. All of the big dairies that know of feed alfalfa from the field. There may be silage for cattle but not in a million years would I get that stuff near my goats. Even if it was made from good alfalfa if it isn't made and stored correctly mold would certainly be an issue and goats don't tolerate mold at all.

My friends here that have used Chaffhaye love it, but it does come out a little more expensive than alfalfa. But they say that their goats look amazing on it and no waste. My goats don't waste much of their alfalfa either, I have found feeders that work.  One BIG advantage if you don't have a truck is the ability to bring Chaff home in the trunk or back seat of your car.


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## misfitmorgan (Sep 20, 2016)

I've not seen any silage that was made and stored correctly mold...

chaffhaye is haylage.....haylage is a type of silage.....chaffhaye is silage it is just an example of made and stored correctly.


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## Queen Mum (Sep 21, 2016)

I use chaffhay and the goats love it.  I also used compressed bales of alfafa.  The goats love that too.  BOTH last well and keep well.  I do not use alfalfa pellets because the content is questionable.  I use round bales of hay when I can get quality stuff.  My goats hate to eat grass.  For some reason the boar goats around here like grass but my dairy does won't or don't.  As for storage of chaffhay.  One bale lasts about a week.  I keep it in the barn and it stays pretty dry. 

I don't usually see mold and I have a goat that can smell mold from a mile a way and rejects the stuff if it's moldy so I don't have to worry much about it.  She tells me if I have any mold in the feed before I even put it in the tray.  (She blows raspberries at it and head butts it out of my hands.)


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## misfitmorgan (Sep 22, 2016)

Queen Mum said:


> I use chaffhay and the goats love it.  I also used compressed bales of alfafa.  The goats love that too.  BOTH last well and keep well.  I do not use alfalfa pellets because the content is questionable.  I use round bales of hay when I can get quality stuff.  My goats hate to eat grass.  For some reason the boar goats around here like grass but my dairy does won't or don't.  As for storage of chaffhay.  One bale lasts about a week.  I keep it in the barn and it stays pretty dry.
> 
> I don't usually see mold and I have a goat that can smell mold from a mile a way and rejects the stuff if it's moldy so I don't have to worry much about it.  She tells me if I have any mold in the feed before I even put it in the tray.  (She blows raspberries at it and head butts it out of my hands.)



Thats why we dont us alfalfa pellets most generally. There is a mill up here and farmers take their junk alfalfa hay there and get $1/bale for it. They dont care if it was rained on or anything as long as it isnt black they will take it. Full of weeds they dont care. It all gets sent thru mills and mixed up the good with the bad. Then it is dyed and made into pellets. The bright green color of those pellets is a dye. DH used to work at a feed mill in Iowa and said if we knew what went into feed we wouldnt use any of it period. 

All that being said not all alfalfa pellets are created equal. If you look at the tag it should only have 1 ingredient "alfalfa" and it should be 17% protein. I know TSC sells one brand of "alfalfa pellets" which has the ingredients listed as "mixed forage" and is 14% protein and a alfalfa timothy pellet that is 100% timothy only and they actually charge more for then the same brands straight alfalfa pellet. So yeah make sure you read your labels for ingredients too.

Anyhow back on topic. We have haylage here that looks exactly the same as chaffe and i wouldnt have a problem feeding it. If you can keep the air out of chaffe and keep it cool you shouldnt have a mold problem, properly made haylage here does not mold. From what i can tell the Chaffee hay is green chopped into trucks then taken to the factory dumped in the chaff bags with 2T molasses and some yeast added, then sealed up stacked on pallets plastic wrapped and set outside in the sun to ferment before being shipped out. Least thats what i gather from their website and aerial/ground photos off google earth/mapquest of the place they make it.


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## NH homesteader (Sep 22, 2016)

I buy Green Mountain Organic alfalfa
pellets.  Or did when I was buying  them regularly anyway.  They're not bright green.  Then again they're $22 for a 50 lb bag...


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## Green Acres Farm (Sep 22, 2016)

misfitmorgan said:


> Thats why we dont us alfalfa pellets most generally. There is a mill up here and farmers take their junk alfalfa hay there and get $1/bale for it. They dont care if it was rained on or anything as long as it isnt black they will take it. Full of weeds they dont care. It all gets sent thru mills and mixed up the good with the bad. Then it is dyed and made into pellets. The bright green color of those pellets is a dye. DH used to work at a feed mill in Iowa and said if we knew what went into feed we wouldnt use any of it period.



Wow! I had no idea! I haven't fed alfalfa pellets in awhile, but I used to...


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## misfitmorgan (Sep 22, 2016)

NH homesteader said:


> I buy Green Mountain Organic alfalfa
> pellets.  Or did when I was buying  them regularly anyway.  They're not bright green.  Then again they're $22 for a 50 lb bag...



Yeah at $22/bag i would assume it is very likely to be nothing but pure quality alfalfa but its just like dog food some "fancy" brands are junk and cost tons and some "fancy" brands are really good. We looked thru all of them and choose to feed diamond naturals after trying others and checking ingredient lists etc. Just gotta do the same with livestock feed.


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## NH homesteader (Sep 22, 2016)

Absolutely.  I trust this particular company,  they're local and have a super reputation.  Also they break the bank lol! So I'm looking for a cheaper alternative since I'm not milking this winter.  

Dog food...  Oh man that's killing me too.  We buy Taste of the Wild.  My dogs much prefer the Rachel Ray dog food but my husband says it's bad for them... Oy,  animals!


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## OneFineAcre (Sep 22, 2016)

I think this is the first time I've heard that alfalfa pellets are bad.


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## Goat Whisperer (Sep 22, 2016)

Same. Never really thought of it before. I feed very little alfalfa pellets daily, maybe 2, 3-quart scoops. I'll look into it but I'm not hugely concerned about it.
I've tasted them and they still taste much like alfalfa  

The Chaffhaye is definitely alfalfa, its chopped but you can still tell what it is.


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## OneFineAcre (Sep 22, 2016)

Goat Whisperer said:


> Same. Never really thought of it before. I feed very little alfalfa pellets daily, maybe 2, 3-quart scoops. I'll look into it but I'm not hugely concerned about it.
> I've tasted them and they still taste much like alfalfa
> 
> The Chaffhaye is definitely alfalfa, its chopped but you can still tell what it is.


I would have never have thought that Grade A alfalfa would have been made into pellets
I would have always thought it was lower quality 
But we have incorporated in our feeding every since we have had goats
More this year since the local grown has been tough


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## Bossroo (Sep 22, 2016)

If  and when you actually go to see the pellet manufacturing process is the only time that anyone can say what is in the alfalfa pellet.  The reputable  mill buys the alfalfa hay on contract with the grower.  The mill finely chops the alfalfa then while adding steem it is pushed through an extruder using an auger.  Wala alfalfa pellets.  If the only ingredient listed on the label is alfalfa, it is .  By finely chopping the alfalfa and being extruded into a pellet in effect it is pre- chewed and by being pressed into a pellet the nutrients are not exposed to oxidation but are easily available to the animal to digest. If one is worried about how hard the pellets are, just soak them in warm water for a few minutes to make a mash. I have successfully fed many a toothless animal doing this.


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## Goat Whisperer (Sep 23, 2016)

I checked the bag, the alflafa pellets I get are 100% alfalfa


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## misfitmorgan (Sep 23, 2016)

NH homesteader said:


> Absolutely.  I trust this particular company,  they're local and have a super reputation.  Also they break the bank lol! So I'm looking for a cheaper alternative since I'm not milking this winter.
> 
> Dog food...  Oh man that's killing me too.  We buy Taste of the Wild.  My dogs much prefer the Rachel Ray dog food but my husband says it's bad for them... Oy,  animals!



Actually Rachel Ray Nutrish Zero Grain is as highly recommended as Taste of the Wild. RR has Dried peas and dried beet pulp which are soso. ToW has pea protein, canola oil and tomato pomace.

I'm definitely not saying all alfalfa pellets are bad im just saying check the bag if your paying big buckets for your pellets, it can be shocking. All feed is like that though and all brands that make more then 1 or two feeds types do it. Top "gourmet" companies that are $50-80/bag several still use corn as their number one ingredient and many people dont think to check because it XYZ brand so it has to be good.


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## Green Acres Farm (Sep 23, 2016)

Goat Whisperer said:


> I've tasted them and they still taste much like alfalfa


Am I the only one who's tried goat minerals?


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## Goat Whisperer (Sep 23, 2016)

I try everything the goat eats.

Alfalfa/Timothy pellets are very bitter BTW


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## NH homesteader (Sep 23, 2016)

Eww.  I don't try anything I feed any of my animals.  Is this like an essential goat keeper experience?


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## Green Acres Farm (Sep 23, 2016)

Goat Whisperer said:


> I try everything the goat eats.
> 
> Alfalfa/Timothy pellets are very bitter BTW


Well goats try their pee... And you give them dewormers...


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## Goat Whisperer (Sep 23, 2016)

I stopped trying the alfalfa after the whole blister beetle scare LOL.

Haven't you ever wondered what the goats favorite food tastes like? 
At least I know


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## Goat Whisperer (Sep 23, 2016)

OK well maybe not _everything_....

Lets just say, when you have been in livestock long enough you will taste some very nasty things. Food always tastes better with a little buck on it, right?


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## Green Acres Farm (Sep 23, 2016)

Goat Whisperer said:


> OK well maybe not _everything_....
> 
> Lets just say, when you have been in livestock long enough you will taste some very nasty things. Food always tastes better with a little buck on it, right?


Oh, every night at dinner everyone complains how bad I smell and that I make everything taste like a buck


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## Southern by choice (Sep 23, 2016)

NH homesteader said:


> Eww.  I don't try anything I feed any of my animals.  Is this like an essential goat keeper experience?



No. @Goat Whisperer  is just weird. 
Trust me... I know!


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## Kusanar (Sep 23, 2016)

NH homesteader said:


> Eww.  I don't try anything I feed any of my animals.  Is this like an essential goat keeper experience?


Lol, I have horses and I taste all of their stuff. Some of the treats are actually pretty good... also, my vet tastes everything she perscribes that she knows won't hurt her, so that if the horse is a little off their feed anyway and the med is bitter, she knows and can recomend adding a bunch of sweet stuff to make it taste better.


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## Green Acres Farm (Sep 23, 2016)

Kusanar said:


> Lol, I have horses and I taste all of their stuff. Some of the treats are actually pretty good... also, my vet tastes everything she perscribes that she knows won't hurt her, so that if the horse is a little off their feed anyway and the med is bitter, she knows and can recomend adding a bunch of sweet stuff to make it taste better.


Our dog vet was telling us what their dewormer tasted like... He tried it!


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## NH homesteader (Sep 23, 2016)

Ew! All set on that!


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## Green Acres Farm (Sep 23, 2016)

My brothers have tried dog food and raw hide chews... But they just like to show off

The worst thing is when your dogs eat horse or goat poop and then lick your mouth!!!! Yuck!!!l


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## misfitmorgan (Sep 26, 2016)

DH always tries the dog's food.... 

I've tried the minerals, cant say i ever want more lol.


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## Queen Mum (Sep 27, 2016)

I do NOT eat my goats feed.  YUCK.  They eat poison ivy and poison oak.  No thanks.  I also make goat cookies for them; Molasses, chopped carrots, apples, chopped corn, oatmeal, minerals, and raisins.  sounds nummy but it's baked till it's hard as a rock.  NO THANKS.  goats also eat pine wood and bark.  They can have it!


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## NH homesteader (Sep 27, 2016)

That's a cool idea! I make my dogs peanut butter and bacon treats sometimes...  Maybe I can make goat treats too!


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## Alexz7272 (Sep 27, 2016)

@Queen Mum I also make cookies for my goats! As I keep them with my sheep, that is how I give them their copper. Never tried it with carrots or raisins though, might have to try that!


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## Queen Mum (Oct 3, 2016)

My goats LOVE goat cookies.  The harder the better.  I use a grain grinder to grind up some of the grain to make the stuff stick together.  Cookies are a great way to get some oil into their diet and also as a training tool.  Anyone tried clicker training.  It works wonders with the goats.  They are really fast learners. 

My next lesson is to teach them to line up when I come in the gate so they don't charge the gate.  I want them to each stand on a brick and wait till I fill the feed pans.  It's going to be a challenge, but I think I can do it.

If I manage to train them to do it, I am going to post a video.  My reason for such "sillyness" is that I have been diagnosed with a degenerative nerve disorder and a couple weeks ago one of them tripped me and I couldn't get off the ground.  Mama had to help me up.  

So far, I have them waiting for treats by name.  Sort of...


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## misfitmorgan (Oct 3, 2016)

It's also really cool to see them line up for stuff....like the does in the milk line and oh boy no one better try to cut in line lol. We have not had enough does in milk at once to see the milk line in quite awhile now....about 2yrs.


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## Southern by choice (Oct 3, 2016)

Oh, @Queen Mum  I do hope you can train them! A video would be great. I know that is easier said than done. It is impossible to do training videos when you are the one training AND trying to video.

Very sorry to hear about your diagnosis.
My son was diagnosed in March with a nerve disorder. It is extremely rare worldwide. He lost the ability to walk, use his hands etc... almost overnight. There is no cure BUT long term he will be ok just don't know how long. Also no idea of long term permanent issues. There is no treatment and no data. Fortunately he was a 4/3 on the Hughes scale. 6 =dead, 5= Bedridden and intubated, 4= bedridden 3= able to stand and move with assistance 2= move around unassisted (walk more than 20 meters) 1= ability to walk and use of hands but not run/not fully functional; 0= "Normal"... Meantime there is only ONE known thing to help in Nerve regeneration. It is Lion's Mane. It is a mushroom. 
We use Paul Stamets- 
http://www.fungi.com/product-detail/product/host-defense-lions-mane-capsules-60ct.html

He has been on this for months... we stopped it several weeks ago to see how he was doing without it. Clearly he is going back on it. His hands have become pretty bad.


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## Queen Mum (Oct 4, 2016)

Oh, so sorry to hear about your son.  Nerve disorders are just totally frustrating for the person having them. And when it's your child, well that's even worse.  I think I'm 1/2 and edging to 2/3 on the Hughes scale.  Depends on the medication at the time.  

In the meantime, I will post a video if I can get one.  I want to train a couple wethers to pull a cart, like a sulky.  It would be a hoot if I could get them working well to have a sulky instead of a wheelchair if and when I get to that point.


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