They Hate Alfalfa Pellets

fishhead · #21 06/22/08, 07:12 AM

Emily brought up a good point about the goats avoiding slightly slobbered pellets left over after the goats pick out the grain. I spend too much time watching my goats browse and they consistently turn up their nose and walk away after sniffing some browse that another goat just left covered with saliva.

If you could bottle the stuff you could sell it for goat proofing shrubs.

copperpennykids · #22 06/22/08, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozark_jewels

When you say they pick around it to get to the goodies, I assume that your feeding alfalfa pellets mixed with other things or mixed in their feed?? If so, that could be one problem.

My girls will not eat the pellets if I mix them in their feed. They will pick around for the grain and then turn up their noses at the slightly slobbery alfalfa pellets after the grain is gone.

I feed them just grain on the milkstand and then after milking is done I pour the alfalfa pellets into the communal trough and they cause a riot. The does gobble them down so fast you wouldn't believe it.
I think a lot of the success has to do with them having competition.

To start with my does were suspicious of the alfalfa pellets but they soon learned to love them.

My does will eat *anything* I give them if its in the trough and they have competition. Something that they might sniff suspiciously at on the milkstand they swallow down with no questions asked rather than give it to their neighbor at the trough. I love playing mind games with my goats.

Our goats EXACTLY! It's all a psychological game.

Try feeding separately from the milk stand before changing feeds. It should work. Oh, and we have Saanens, so I don't think this is specific to a breed!

Camille

CookingPam777 · #23 06/23/08, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozark_jewels

When you say they pick around it to get to the goodies, I assume that your feeding alfalfa pellets mixed with other things or mixed in their feed?? If so, that could be one problem.

My girls will not eat the pellets if I mix them in their feed. They will pick around for the grain and then turn up their noses at the slightly slobbery alfalfa pellets after the grain is gone.

I feed them just grain on the milkstand and then after milking is done I pour the alfalfa pellets into the communal trough and they cause a riot. The does gobble them down so fast you wouldn't believe it.
I think a lot of the success has to do with them having competition.

To start with my does were suspicious of the alfalfa pellets but they soon learned to love them.

My does will eat *anything* I give them if its in the trough and they have competition. Something that they might sniff suspiciously at on the milkstand they swallow down with no questions asked rather than give it to their neighbor at the trough. I love playing mind games with my goats.

I added some corn and beet pulp. They finally after a long time ate that now I have tried just alfalfa pellets doesn't work. Competion for food in a trough doen't work. i think my goats are nuts hehehe!

CookingPam777 · #24 06/23/08, 08:28 AM

100% alfalfa. But even my doe that scarfs anything in sight didn't like them. I mean this doe is totally not picky about anything but she hates this. She will eat if it is eat or starve. Now my picky doe would rather wither away to nothing over it.

MandersGoaters · #25 06/23/08, 06:33 PM

Ozark Jewels is right on the money! mine (for the exception of three gluttons) will root the alfalfa pellets around and get the grain...so i stopped mixing them and feed them seperately, and watch the frenzy go!! picky picky spoiled brats!
my jersey hefier is the same, mix them with her corn and sweet feed she roots them out of the way, feed all three of the heifers the pellets in a trough and watch them go!
like me, I'd rather eat my steak before my salad LOL