Is there any reason not to feed goats rabbit food?

I am almost afraid to count right now as the farm account is dwindling fast these days, as I no longer work for the auction I was working for and trying another way to earn farm $ I told my hubbie if I can't aford to keep my habit them they will go.

50 Chickens grain and scratch and scraps from the house. would be great to be able to free range but neighborhood dogs.
8 Goats goat feed minerals alfalfa pellets oats pulp Boss hay alfalfa depended on which goat gets which
2 outside cats ( just gave one of 3 away to sister yesterday)
2 inside cats
2 LARGE breed dogs, A Pyr and a Airedale Terrier
4 rabbits I sold off about 20 before surgery and butchered 6 meat rabbits 2 weeks ago.

The only problem I have found with the alfalfa pellets is that sometimes they vary in size from bag to bag my goats will eat the smaller ones but I have to saok the larger ones and I have one goat that will not eat them after they are soaked ( my goats are almost as picky as my human kids)

My kids are begging for a horse however I have tried to explain productive animals only they still want a horse oh well I am the mom so nope.

I did rehome 3 ginea pigs, 2 ducks, 1 goose, and killed all the fish So it has shrunk some. You know sometimes you just get tired and broke. Anything I can do to make life a little easier I will. Downsizing children is not an option, although at times I wish it was. (not really but this morning they are being difficult)

I do understand the need to cut back and downsize. I sold my entire meat goat herd recently..that's 10 goats. I have 4 LaMancha milk goats left. It was a difficult decision for me too. But as you said the trips to the feed store and all the money spent on feed was really eating into my budget. I still have chickens, rabbits, ducks, cats and dogs to feed.
I have someone who is going to buy some of the chickens, will put about 6 to 7 ducks in the freezer, can and do, eat and sell the bunnies.
I have fed rabbit feed to the goats but therabbit pellets cost about $2 more per 50 lbs then alfalfa pellets here, so it is only when I run low on goat feed.

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Living the good life in Kansas.

I'd just do alfalfa pellets. . . much cheaper than good rabbit food.
We feed
6 horses
8 goats
llama
1 calf
6 chinchillas
2 ferrets
1 rabbit
4 dogs
1 cat

Yea, it is more than our carpayment a month to feed them.

Go to the rabbit section of this forum, they gave me the information I needed to get my rabbits off the pellets. I purchase a 12% all grain for horses and alfalfa pellets, this is the base of my milkstand grain for the goats, feeding my hens this (soaked with milk) and using as the only grain for my rabbits, they are on nearly full fed greens, and most of this is picked for free, dandilions are their favorite, and I keep one raised bed with chard, confrey, muslein mix, salad greens, herbs (my rabbits love basil and it is nearly a weed here, a simple cattle panel hoop house over the bed keeps me in greens year round for them and me). I feed grass hay to the goats, rabbits and chickens also. The chickens also get to glean all the spilled feed from the rabbit cages suspended above them (they are wired in above so no hens roosting on the rabbits which is gross. I then purchase meat goat pellets for the bucks and young kids. Considering I use a 12% allgrain for horses, you could also then raise your horses on it and the same grass hay, and alfalfa pellets are a horse feed. When the grass hay under the goats feeder is cleaned it goes in the hen house for bedding for them to scratch through.

Alfalfa pellets and rabbit pellets are not interchangeable, one is ground grain by products the other is 100% dehydrated alfalfa.

Each class of animal needs minerals, I would not 'just' be feeding grain sacks with minerals in them thinking that it is nearly enough. I use my loose minerals (Techmaster complete from bluebonnet) for my goats, rabbits and chickens and even use it in my dog food (we feed raw). So goatsmilk feeds the chickens and dogs, the rabbits and goats feed the dogs, the dogs protect the farm and it's the only way we can have the goats, rabbits or chickens The chicken eggs, goatmilk and goat sales pay for the whole farm.

Ditch the BOSS, corn has more energy and more fat for less than half the price, don't let all the internet hype on soy or corn make you use alternatives that are now too expensive to use. Vicki

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Vicki McGaugh
Nubian Soaps
North of Houston TX
www.etsy.com/shop/nubiansoaps

A 3 decade dairy goat farm homestead that is now a retail/wholesale soap company and construction business.

Vicki, your whole operation makes so much sense - lol! I hope to end up with something even half so sensible!

On another note, feeding a 12% feedstore mixed horse feed would be okay instead of a pelleted goat feed like I am buying now? Not trying to hijack the thread - just curious if that would work as well or better than the Purnia feed we buy now.

I buy a good grass hay, alfalfa pelletts and whole oats. The horses get a little bit of oats with some alfalfa pellets but mostly hay. The goats get hay until they are close to delivery then they get a little oats and increasing amounts of alfalfa pellets. It's good quality hay that keeps both groups healthy- I have no where near enough pasture to keep them.
Hay and a good mineral mix is all most need unless in production or heavy work.

I can't imagine that tiny amount of alfalfa pellets would have any harmful effect. I would be more worried about the wallet? Is that really cheaper.

sbates not really cheaper other then the fact I have to but 1 bug instead of 2 just more often. It is easier to spend 10 then 20 dollars at a time.

I sure hope Vicki comes back to check this thread....

Vicki, you aren't feeding BOSS at all? How much corn are you feeding?

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Alice
* * *
"No great thing is created suddenly." ~Epictitus

Why am I thinking corn is not so great for goats...or am I confusing it with dogs! I feed boss and alfalfa pellets only. If I could feed corn instead of Boss I would. I am under the impression that Boss is better, and corn is carp. Am I wrong....again! I only feed a handful each of the Boss a day. I feed it to my horses too...corn makes them nuts.

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Teach only Love...for that is what You are

No, I simply refuse to pay $17 for 50 pounds Alice. A brood farm near me is feeding their horses an all season blend that is 12%. It is whole oats, corn (maybe 12% of the ration) barley, it does have an alfalfa pellet in it and soy, it has a nice mineral mix in it for $8.40 per 50...I can't even buy whole oats for that. It's because they are going through 8 tons a week at the feed store, so as long as I can get this mix I will not be mixing mine. I am adding a supplement pellet (calf manna knock off) to this feed to bring up protien last 50 days of pregnancy and the first part of lactation.

When I mix feed I use 1 pound of flaked corn per 4 pounds of whole oats....also we have been getting rice pellets which are high in fat also and have more protein than corn.

With the small amount of BOSS most are feeding, is it really upping the fat that much? No. Vicki

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Vicki McGaugh
Nubian Soaps
North of Houston TX
www.etsy.com/shop/nubiansoaps

A 3 decade dairy goat farm homestead that is now a retail/wholesale soap company and construction business.