Feeding question - Grass hay and Alfalfa Pellets??

[Drewusa81]

I have 4 Nubian and 3 Lamancha does to kid here starting this coming weekend. They get free choice good quality grass hay, free choice Sweetlix Goat Minerals, free choice biocarb, and a 16% Dairy ration. Last year I had no problems with kidding. I was just curious about calcium. Unfortunatly I can not afford to free feed alfalfa pellets at the rate of 3-4 pounds per doe per day but I can offer some. If they have good quality free choice grass hay, how much alfalfa pellets would be reccomended. I buy hay here for $1.50-$2.00 per square bale. 600 pound round blaes are $20. (I would expect that prices this summer will go up with the high price of diesel fuel, some people around here sell hay for $4 or $5 dollars a bale but I'm not going to pay it if I can of course get it for half that or less). With the price I'm currently paying for hay, free feeding alfalfa pellets does not make sense for me economically. A bag of Alfalfa pellets cost basically the same price as the 16% diary ration I feed for grain. Would 2#s of Alfalfa pellets, free choice grass hay, and some dairy ration (or oats, I have read a lot about people feeding them) be enough to keep my does healthy? My goats are all in good conditon and look fine. I took some to the fair last year and recieved compliments on how nice they looked. Just wondering what you all think.

[Alice In TX/MO]

3 pounds alfalfa pellets per doe per day. It's the calcium in the alfalfa they need, not the 16% protein of the dairy goat ration.

Mine only get a scoop of grain on the milk stand. They need the alfalfa more than the grain.

I'm hoping you don't have milk fever (severe low calcium - hypocalcemia) which can cause death quickly in your does as they kid. You might want to get the supplies ready in case you do.

I copied the following info from dairygoatinfo.com. Wait till after April 1 to go there and research. They have a really bad April Fools Day situation going on there, and it's too frustrating to read.

The alfalfa and the grain (and both must be being fed to make the calcium available for lactation) both have excellent nutritional properties to begin with. The difference is that the alfalfa is loaded with calcium, and the grain is loaded with phosphorus. The ideal ratio between the calcium and phosphorus is: a minimum of 2 parts calcium (and up to 5 parts is still fine) for every 1 part of phosphorus, and unless that ratio is properly maintained, the calcium will not be available for milk production. And that will actually lessen the doe's milk production capability, as well as, in extreme conditions, putting her into a state of hypocalcemia.

One or two cups of grain per day ONLY!

[mygoat]

I feed alfalfa pellets in my grain mix (which I'm changing again this year, otherwise I'd share it with you!) and the does get grass hay. In the summer if they have lots of browse, they don't get hay, just the pellets in the grain mix in the stand.

[Milk n' Honey]

Go heavy on the alfalfa pellets. You just think you can't afford them. What you can't afford to do is to lose the doe and her kids or have to start pumping lots of meds into goats to fix them. I lost a nice doe this way and she was due in 1 month. Her and her kids were worth a lot of money and she was special to me also. They might be fine. Many people lean more heavy on the calcium side rather than the phosporus. A 2:1 ratio is recommened for goats and up to 5:1 but you are better off going with at least 3:1 or 4:1 when they are feeding kids. What I'm doing now is this.....we have a used deep freeze that we mix our feed in. I put in three 50# bags of alfalfa pellets, 25# cracked corn and 25# steamrolled oats. Then I add 25# of black oil sunflower seeds to that. They get free choice mineral and baking soda. They also get a Ragland protein block that has vitamins and minerals and is made for goats. Once they get a calcium deficiency, you are going to have a nightmare on your hands. Preventative care is always cheaper than treatment. Goats are just not cheap animals, lets face it!!