Samssimonsays: Blazing Acres journal

[NH homesteader]

I can't find alfalfa! Ugh!

 

[samssimonsays]

I have a hard tine finding quality alfalfa hay here as well so I have started buying the pellets. It will come in handy when milking as last year I bought a ton with my nubian in milk and once that was gone I haven't been able to get my hands on it. I may have found some a couple hours away for this coming year but that's a long drive for the amount we'd be able to carry. Those pellets seemed to be exactly what my little guy needed to help bulk up. And it will help when I'm milking in the spring.

 

[CntryBoy777]

I know when you make any change in diet it has to be a little at a time, but I am interested in the beet pulp....how much to feed is used in ratio? and is it something they have to get used to or do they naturally like it? and its benefits?

 

[samssimonsays]

I know when you make any change in diet it has to be a little at a time, but I am interested in the beet pulp....how much to feed is used in ratio? and is it something they have to get used to or do they naturally like it? and its benefits?

I used the pellets because I am uneasy on the regular expanding so much and it is too cold here to fuss with soaking it. I started VERY slowly with a pellet or two by hand (mine are huge loves and greedy) a day and slowly moved it up. Now I have a less than measured way of things as I sprinkle it on top of their feed now (maybe my small hands worth of a handful and I have 4 goats eating out of the trough. My goats have a pretty strong stomach and have never had an upset while changing or adding anything so I have been fortunate but it is always advised to do things super slowly. The alfalfa was a little more when adding it in but still only a few pellets until gradually increased to a small hand full. Mine thought beet pulp pellets were like candy but my littlest buckling who I was trying to beef up just mouths it and doesn't care for it as much... he also prefers me to hand feed him We have been working through some attachment issues with him.

 

[Baymule]

I have fed my horses beet pulp before, they love it. It is the dried shreds left over from making sugar. You are supposed to soak it, but I never have. Since sugar beets are GMO, I buy cane sugar at the grocery store. And since sugar beets are GMO, I tried to grow a row of non GMO beets this past spring. Those beets are on my list of failures. I am steadily improving the soil, so I expect to have success at some point. I want to be able to give treats in the winter to the sheep. The beet shreds you buy also have molasses on them for sweetness. First the sugar is squeezed out, then added back, go figure.

 

[NH homesteader]

We used to feed beet pulp to my MIL's horses when we watched them for her. Never thought to use it for goats. We soaked it in warm water even in winter. They ate fast though.

I need to get alfalfa pellets. I was using organic ones but they were $22/bag. I love being organic and all but that's not going to happen! Not on one income!

I didn't know sugar beets were a GMO crop. Can't trust anything can you...

 

[CntryBoy777]

Here in this area alfalfa is only available in pellets...$15/50#bg and a compressed 40# dehydrated hay bale @$17/bundle....I have stopped feeding the pellets and feed alfafa-oats pellet and I give them the dehydrated hay in the evening....of course there is bermuda hay available free choice....the reason I stayed with the alfalfa-oat pellets is they have copper in it and since I began feeding it to them they started looking better and healthier....but, if something like the beet pulp is good for them and they like it then am always interested in doing better for them....thanks All for the info....and wasn't aware they were a GMO either...thanks for letting us know Bay!!

 

[Baymule]

You can buy non GMO mangel beet seed and sugar beet seed at www.rareseeds.com

 

[Goat Whisperer]

I feed a beet pulp/alfalfa pellet/goat feed mix to all the growing kids here.

Some of the bucks are on a "heavy" grain (feed) diet, I think the beet pulp is a good "buffer" on concentrated diets. It also adds the fibers, good when you have some goats that don't eat a whole lot of hay.

 

[NH homesteader]

Do you soak it? I'm interested in this...