protein blocks

[okiemom]

anyone use them? I have used loose minerals w rumensin (love it)but not the protein
block from sweetlix. Is there any benny to useing it w/ pg. does? Will alfalfa pellets and loose minerals alone be better. will the use of the block increse the chance of overeating disease? Need to revaccinate as I am overdue by a few months.

I have never used blocks and have not heard of anyone else using them?

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Alot of people use them as their hay looses protein....now in the same sentence you do not want to overfeed protein, first it's expensive but also in their peeing it out it will take calcium with it. The high alfalfa protein hay and protein lick combo is a common dinominator in those who can't breed young dairy stock because of bowed legs from calcium depeletion.

Read the ingredients! Sweet Lix does have one that contains urea, you do not want to feed urea to goats, the first syptom of uric posioning in small ruminants is death. So each time you pick them up make sure you read the ingredients. Most of the protein in them are either soy or cottonseed meal, they are super convenient though. Vicki

[okiemom]

I was wondering if they were the "junk" food of the goat world. The minerals I used were for goats. I don't have the lable in front of me though. I will double check for the urea. thanks for the heads up. what does the urea do to them that it doesen't do to cattle?

I don't have ready alfalfa hay available but the pellets are great. WE have much more room now that we moved so I will be looking at overseeding for the fall/spring maybe even for the summer. I hope this will help cut down on the pellets. Have any favorites? I was reading an article about seeding sorgum for goat hay? Suzanne Gasperetto was starting w/ it on her farm in TX. I need to find out more as I am afraid we will wind up w/ lots of bermuda but not much good goat browse again.