Don't mix alfalfa pellets with grain? Ozark Jewels

Saw an ad in the Victoria Texas paper today for the 3x3x8 alfalfa hay bales. $100.

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

We feed grain on the stand or if younger goats, in seperated feeders in alloted amounts. Pelleted alfalfa, like our good flinthills grass hay, is offered free choice day and night.

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hmm - my girls turned their noses up at the pellets as well - but it wa smixed. They eat alfalfa chaff better - although the chaff in someone else's bucket is always better than the chaff in their own. One goat in particular will, given the opportunity, leave her bucket once she has sifted the grain out and go round everyone else's seeing if they have any left and end up with someone else's chaff. I now tie them up to eat so that I know they all get their ration, but I am going over to feeding onthe milk stand as soon as I can get it organised.

I have a query about alfalfa pellets though if I may. I thought that goats needed the roughage of "stalks" ie hay or similar to keep their rumens healthy. Surely if I feed pellets then that changes the balance? Or not? How does that work?

How much hay does the alfalfa pellets/chaff replace? I am in the process of thinking out a complete change on the way I do things, I need to figure out the cost of getting the alfalfa here though. Hay is bought on the island, alfalfa has to be bought in.

Thanks

hoggie

I have found that to be "the great debate" in some circles. personally, after cutting open and seeing the contents of the rumen of a wether on browse only, I could see that the content looked just like mushy crushed alfalfa pellets. I stopped wasting expensive hay after that (still feed roundbales in some situations). some say that the don't develop a good rumen capacity with pellets. I have not found that to be the case. the pellets are just chopped up hay. maybe the don't cud them as much?? don't produce as much "buffering" saliva?? even when mine get no hay, just pellets, they still sit around cudding all day.

also must note that my goats when browsing go for alot of small particle new growth (tiny leaves and shoots) not big hunks of "stemmy" stuff. they love tiny new blackberry leaves. when feeding alfalfa hay they eat the crumbly leaves anyway and leave the stems. with the alfalfa hay I have had access to it is practically pulverized the moment you touch it so I don't see much difference in that and pellets either. just my opinion.

http://jds.fass.org/cgi/content/abstract/87/9/2987

"Reduction in chop length did not affect rumen pH, total rumen volatile fatty acids, milk yield, and milk composition, but increased DM (dry matter) intake from 19.4 to 20.1 kg/d at the high level of concentrate and from 16.9 to 17.7 kg/d at the low level of concentrate and increased rumen propionate."

from elsewhere about rumen function....."propionate which is then available to the host for gluconeogenesis"

unless I am misundertading something it sounds like shortened chop length increase feed intake (definitly my experience) and the ability to convert it to energy.

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Pellets are made of the whole harvested plant, stems, leaves, etc. With feeding alfalfa hay, my does pick through and leave the stems. Pellets are cheaper, and they don't leave half of it in the feeder to be thrown out.

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

I asked this in another post but no one answered so please...
the alfalfa pellets I was getting came from a different mill and are larger and harder. My one doe is refusing to eat her grain because of this. My does are 4 months pregnant. If I stop giving them the alfalfa now, will it cause problems? I know that adding alfalfa when they are pregnant can cause calcium drop at birthing... will stopping cause the same?

"I know that adding alfalfa when they are pregnant can cause calcium drop at birthing"

Old wive's tale. Not true.

They need alfalfa, especially during this last month of their pregnancy. Try to find another source.

Alice

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

I too changed sources and found the pellets larger and harder. My does ate them but I'm more comforatble with the smaller "rabbit food size" pellets. I get them at our local FRM Feed supplier. Alfafa hay bales here are almost $20.00 a bale, so mine get grass hay and alfafa pellets along with browse.

I cut the mixture down to 1 alfalfa pellets, 1 goat pellets, 1 sweetfeed and that seems to be more acceptable to them.
Thanks

Here in IN we can raise really good alfalfa and the pellets are still $14/50lbs. Square bales are $4 - $9 depending on whether it's "horse hay" or "cattle hay". We have been selling grass hay for $2.

I toss the grain to one side of the bucket, and the alfalfa pellets to the other. Or feed the grain and then the alfalfa pellets.

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