So what exactly do you feed?

"The trouble with molasses actually lies in that, in large amounts, it causes changes in the different levels of various VFA's produced by the bacteria in the rumen, causing acidosis in excess and rumen upset with sudden feed changes."

I have no idea what that means other than it looks a lot like what I said, and I won't be answering any of the "what do you feed" threads any more.

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

All I was trying to point out, is that molasses in reasonable amounts is not necessarily bad, as you made it seem like it should never be fed.

VFA's (Volitile fatty acids) are produced by rumen bacteria, and are the ruminant's main energy source. They are GOOD, but changes in diet or simply feeding certain things in excess can cause changes in the levels of different VFA's as well as other bacterial byproducts - which can cause acidosis.

You can feed many different ways and I'm not trying to change how you feed - do what works for you. I didn't mean to offend, just clarify for those newer to goats and nutrition.

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Dona Barski

"Breed the best, eat the rest"

Caprice Acres

French and American Alpines. CAE, Johnes neg herd. Abscess free. LA, DHIR.

I do what Alice does but I agree that they waste a ton of alfalfa when it's fresh. I plan to cut back some on the fresh alfalfa but I've tried coastal hay and they look at me like I have aluminum foil covered tennis balls on my head. Gotta find a good mix.

We don't do sweet feed, corn, or soy. We consume the milk and we do not do soy at all and we do not use our animals to filter our food.

Lynn, if I were you, I would start by talking with your local Agricultural Department to find out if your area is deficient in selenium and/or copper.

The next thing I would do is talk with the people I'm purchasing the goats from to find out what has been working well for them. (It is not always good to change what a goat is doing well on; however, if you do decide to make changes, do so very, very slowly.)

They will need "clean" water (hanging on a wall they cannot poop in), free-choice Baking Soda, free-choice "loose" minerals that has a balance of calcium/phosphorous and shelter from bad weather.

They will need a "browsing" pasture as opposed to a "grazing" pasture in that goats don't eat like cows do. Goats like a wide variety which includes trees (leaves/bark) and brush.

I would also walk through where they will be held to make sure there are NO plants that would poison them. (You can talk with your Ag Agent about what this might be in your area.)

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