anyone else concerned about feed prices?

Whisperwindkat · #21 07/27/12, 06:45 AM

One more thing I want to say and please don't anyone misunderstand and think that I am bashing what and how they feed their livestock. Just one little tidbit I learned from my grandfather and experience has proven him right over the years. When times get tough is not the time to stop feeding high quality feeds in favor of low quality fillers. Understand the animals nutrition and feed the best quality that you possibly can. Buying poor nutritional quality foods for your livestock will actually cost you more in the long run as you have to feed more of it and it will eventually run up those vet bills as your goats health starts to suffer. BOSS is much more expensive than corn, but packs a walloping amount of nutrition in just a third of a cup a day, vs. corn which lacks any sort of nutrition except calories. The calorie difference is also great. Because corn is a carb based calorie the life of the calorie is short lived, therefore more must be fed. Whereas the calories in BOSS are from fat and therefore last much longer. So think about what you are feeding and how much you have to buy before just automatically changing to poor quality feeds. Our solution to rising feed prices is that we are culling our herd, keeping the best 4 producers and the other 3 are going in the freezer. Blessings, Kat

Pony · #22 07/27/12, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motdaugrnds

Pony are you drying your comfrey leaves for winter feed? If so, how?

I'm just laying them out in the shade. I could use the dehydrator, but that makes them a bit too crunchy.

Just take an old sheet, anchor the sides, and lay the comfrey leaves on it. It's been so hot and dry that they are done quickly!

Pony · #23 07/27/12, 09:32 AM

Anybody looked into Chaffhay? I'm wondering if it's as great as they say it is...

MDKatie · #24 07/27/12, 09:43 AM

Our layer feed just went up about $2/bag! I compared my receipts with those from 3 years ago...the layer feed went from $7something a bag to now $12something a bag!! 50lb bags of whole corn are now about $10...and this is from the mill, so they save money by making their own feeds and it's still that high. Rabbit feed is between $13-15 per 50lb bag.

Is it too late to plant mangels? I would be interested in trying them. Also, I've been thinking about planting some forage radishes in my garden, as a cover crop and also a feed source.

We're downsizing now, by harvesting animals. Just took one pig to the butcher, and the other 2 will be BBQed at the end of the month. I've got 2 lambs growing out for the freezer, and 12 meat rabbits waiting for the freezer as well. I'm also selling off chicks that were hatched this year. Definitely looking forward to having fewer mouths to feed!

Pony · #25 07/27/12, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDKatie

Our layer feed just went up about $2/bag! I compared my receipts with those from 3 years ago...the layer feed went from $7something a bag to now $12something a bag!! 50lb bags of whole corn are now about $10...and this is from the mill, so they save money by making their own feeds and it's still that high. Rabbit feed is between $13-15 per 50lb bag.

Is it too late to plant mangels? I would be interested in trying them. Also, I've been thinking about planting some forage radishes in my garden, as a cover crop and also a feed source.

We're downsizing now, by harvesting animals. Just took one pig to the butcher, and the other 2 will be BBQed at the end of the month. I've got 2 lambs growing out for the freezer, and 12 meat rabbits waiting for the freezer as well. I'm also selling off chicks that were hatched this year. Definitely looking forward to having fewer mouths to feed!

In the four years since we moved to rural living, corn chops doubled in price. Alfalfa is ridiculous, and the rest... well, we've decided to make the poultry forage for their own feed, with the exception of a scoop in the morning and one in the evening for ALL of them; they also get scraps.

Goats and lamb are on browse/grass, but we do supplement them more, especially the working doe. I would have loved to keep a couple more does, but we're down to two and there it will stay for now. Beef is going to go through the roof next year, so we'll be glad to have goat meat.

Rabbits are getting some pelleted feed, but also weeds and grass and whatever else we can give them. Again, numbers cut back until such time as we can do better supplying our own feed.

It's too late to plant mangels in MD, but that shouldn't dissuade you from planting beets and anything else you can get growing to feed them. Peas are good, but it's too late to plant cowpeas (so very nutritious, and they can eat the whole plant). Still, when the weather cools down, grow regular peas and feed the vines as well as the fruit.

I'm sure we'll all get through this with proper planning, frugality, and lots of prayer.

motdaugrnds · #26 07/27/12, 11:13 AM

MamaC11, never concern yourself about hijacking one of my threads. Anything that contributes and/or broadens my threads is welcome.

Whisperwindkat, I think you're correct; and my experience in here with most of the goat people is that they understand this too. However, when we know prices are rising so we cannot afford to continue feeding what we have been, knowing and understanding other types of feed is a must. Great information about the difference between BOSS and corn. Thanks Kat.

We're downsizing too, even though our herd has always been kept small. We have 7 goats being prepared now for the freezer...Need about 6 more weeks for this; and what we're feeding them (Purina Goat Chow, Alfalfa pellets & shredded Beet Pulps...along with the last of our quality baled hay) is starting to concern me...as for as replacing it.

We are only keeping 3 does and one buck. Our chickens get about a pint of cracked corn and about 1/4th cup whole corn each morning; then they browse all day. We do keep pelleted "Grower pellets"; but they rarelly come in to the chicken house to eat it as they have complete freedom all over the 6 acres. Our 15 guineas free-range as well and roost every night in the chicken house...an outside roosting area in the covered pen. So knock on wood they are not too costly yet; but I'm seeing more expense in the near future. [We just put up 8 chickens and have 8 more guinneas fattening for processing in about 6 weeks.]

At the present, I've cut back on what I've been feeding the milkers. They are starting to dry up and still have good weight on them; so I'm not concerned about them. They are still getting the same grain mix (Purina Healthy Edge, alfalfa pellets, whole oats & BOSS), just less of this mix each morning. This has been occurring about 9 days and they still have good weight on them...again knock on wood. The pastures are full of tall plants they won't touch (wingstems), yet the grass, amaranth and other types of weeds are still available. I can tell they're hungry for trees; so I still cut off limbs from trees they cannot get to and toss them over the fencing for them...especially the ones we're holding in the processing pen. And yes, our goats love sweet gum trees!

What all this is for us is a slow process of switching from the amount of mixed grain they use to get to less grain and more browse now...preparing them for what might turn out to be hard times in future months. (I'm wanting to see how they fair with this transition as I want to make sure the few goats we do keep will remain healthy & happy.)

.....Yes Pony, proper planning, frugality and lots of prayer ....... and thanks for information as to drying comfrey leaves for goat feed.

chewie · #27 07/27/12, 11:31 AM

I did that too--cut back just a bit on their pellets, but I did add boss, and beet shreds, and really appreciate the info about boss! with only 2, its do-able to give them.

what hay the does turn nose up at, goes to the boys. (one buck and his pal) with less animals I seem to be keeping tabs on not wasting. just wish my garden did better this year.

dh and I went 2 directions last night looking for horse hay, he scored but at a high cost, I didn't at all. I am getting very worried.

Hollowdweller · #28 07/27/12, 12:36 PM

I have always said that the big money in farming is selling stuff TO the farmer not selling farm products.

By and large anything you buy for your livestock will be top price, including feed while you will be very limited in what you can charge for them.

I think with goats and I include myself here, that one of the big expenses is that we tend to keep more than we strictly need.

Then rather than cutting back to where we are not wasting milk, we often wind up raising baby cows or other livestock with the milk just to justify a larger herd, which of course means MORE work.

In an ideal world I think the perfect scenario would be for the average person to have 2 milkers that are really great milkers, and then a source for a buck locally. To milk them on extended lactations so you don't have kids to deal with and then to also slaughter any buck kids for meat. To make full use of manure on the garden.

The only problem with growing food for the goats is that we have been raising goats most of us that get commercial food, we've mineraled and coppered them up and the animals we are keeping are the animals that have prospered on that sort of situation.

However the animals that we need would be ones that have efficient digestive systems where extensive feed and mineral supplementation would not be needed and whose digestive systems will not bloat or go haywire on a varied diet.

There is an interesting part in the book Goat Husbandry, by David MacKenzie where he talks about how that during the war when grain was rationed that the end result was a hardier, more productive goat because producers culled inefficent or non easy keeping goats.

prairiedog · #29 07/27/12, 12:40 PM

Growing things for the animals is great but with this drought how well will it grow. We water our vegetable garden well and it is still failing in the heat. If I planted things it wouldn't help I would just be wasting lots of water. Time for us to bail now who knows what the future holds. I can not have animals that I can not take care of the way I feel they should be just can't.

motdaugrnds · #30 07/27/12, 07:48 PM

Yes, prairiedog, I do understand your situation. The drought is bad over much of America!

We have been fortunate in that, though the heat wave has been worse than ever, we have had intermittent rains. Causes terrible humidity problems and helped destroy my Asian Pear trees. Looks like I'll be having to plant some new ones.

This rain, however, has kept the grass alive as well as wild vegetation. We did not put in a garden this year; and I'm sure glad of that. David just tended what came up by itself, i.e. Passion Flower, Self-Heal, Amaranth, Lambsquarter, etc. So far they are all looking good.

Oat Bucket Farm · #31 07/27/12, 08:13 PM

That is good at least Motd. It is amazing what even a little intermittent rain can do. A friend of mine who has a horse is having a horrible time trying to find hay for him this year, and she can afford the more expensive stuff. But her normal hay person doesn't have any and when she calls ads on CL, the hay is already spoken for.

noeskimo · #32 07/27/12, 09:51 PM

Chafee;we know some people here who tried it last year. I worked well for the cattle and horses, but the goats got pretty ill. Remember, it is a fermented product, and can mess with rumen function.

PaulNKS · #33 07/27/12, 11:06 PM

Goats can do great with fermentation in the forms of haylage and silage. After all, the ruminant is nothing but a fermentation vat.

Some goat dairies feed a lot of silage.

LoneStrChic23 · #34 07/27/12, 11:56 PM

I know a few herds who use Chaffhay. Mine love it, but I can't afford to feed it fast enough with my herd size before the open bags go bad in this heat..... When I could get it locally, and affordably, I fed it during the winter...... Local supplier upped their price, then stopped carrying it. Alfalfa pellets store better & are just easier so I haven't bothered to look for another source of Chaffhay.

A note to the poster using Purina Strategy Healthy Edge...... For the month of July, Purina is doing a special, buy 3 bags, get one free (must buy the 3 at once to recieve the free bag).... It's only for the Healthy Edge & Healthy Edge Sr..... You don't have to have a coupon, just call the store & make sure they are aware of the promotion & see if they'll honor it. My feed store wasn't participating, but I chatted with the manager, & 2 days later he called me back & said his store would honor the promotion.

Pony · #35 07/28/12, 08:29 AM

Chaffhaye |

Do you think regular alfalfa performs just as well? My biggest concern is that they get sufficient roughage from their food to keep those happy little rumens rumbling.

dm9960 · #36 07/28/12, 11:41 AM

Im very concerned too. problem here is that we can't sell the goats. No one is buying, not even for meat. a friend of mine has 35 goats she is trying to sell, no one will buy them, feed just went up another dollar a bag. hay is scarce. we're thinking of doing our own processing of meat and selling meat. or eat it ourselves.

**mygoat** · #37 07/28/12, 12:51 PM

With ANY fermented food, realize that goats are VERY suceptible to listeria. That's a darned good way to get it. IN the past few years I've been known to feed sweet hay/baleage alfalfa because not only do the goats LOVE it, but the leaves don't fall off the stems when you're pitching it. Great stuff. But this last winter I lost a doe to listeria and lost kids from a different doe to a listeria abortion. I doubt it was coincidence. Though it's not common, it's something to consider when feeding fermented products. I only fed baleage through the winter to keep it from spoiling. This past winter was VERY abnormally warm, so likely the listeria was able to thrive. Most people simply don't go through fermented products fast enough to make them doable for your average goat farmer.

Actually, very few goat farms feed fermented products anywhere like they do in cow dairies/feedlots. Mainly because most farms aren't big enough to justify a silo of any sort and cannot properly manage fermented foods to prevent severe issues with mould or bacterial loads.

Pony · #38 07/28/12, 02:21 PM

Yeah, the mold and bacteria thing will definitely keep me from trying it, then. I think of what happened to Emily, and ... no. Won't take ANY chances.

Better get out there and start picking the comfrey and other goodies, then drying it well and bagging it in paper feed sacks.

DRY paper feed sacks.

loli · #39 07/28/12, 08:15 PM

I guess we are luckier than a lot of you, we have all meat goats and they get very little grains of any kind. I do milk a couple of the kiko does, but our herd is predominately meat only. We bought all our hay early in the year, they eat round bales and not much of those. The weanlings get a little grain and it has gone up, but natural forage is mostly what we have and we only populated at 4 does per acre for the home place. The weaners all go to market at about 7 months of age. When I was keeping milk goats on small plots, I did feed bale in a bag hay but it was expensive and I fed a lot of grain to those does, but the milk production for of utmost importance at that time. I really feel for everyone in this drought, it is affecting all aspects of the livestock community.