alfalfa pellets question

deetu · #1 03/16/10, 07:33 PM

My goats get a mixture of (2) Producer's Pride alfalfa, (1) Dumor goat pellets and (1) Blue Seal caprine. And are fed a grass hay. I buy the grains from Tractor Supply.

Recently, upon opening a bag of alfalfa, the pellets were larger and harder. I gave a couple to the goats and you could hear them crunching them. Usually, they look like rabbit pellets. I returned it and went to another feed store and got the Blue Seal alfalfa pellets and it also was larger but not as hard. The third feed store also had the larger pellets. Fourth store had the same stuff as the third store.

I started using the Blue Seal because it wasn't as hard but one of my does isn't eating her grain. I tried feeding her some grain without the alfalfa but she still isn't interested. They are pregnant, due in April so I don't want this disruption in their feed because of the calcium problems at birth.

I have been after Tractor Supply but they said the distributor said nothing was different. She said she would see about ordering from a different supplier but already put the order in and said it couldn't be added to. I asked her to try.

I stopped feeding alfalfa hay because of the waste. I used to have a horse that ate the stems and but she passed. I really don't want to deal with the hay again.

I thought about rabbit pellets but remembered someone saying it wasn't good to feed that. I'm not sure how much alfalfa ratio there is anyway.

Arrgghhh, any suggestions would be appreciated at this point.

Backfourty,MI. · #2 03/16/10, 09:12 PM

I've had alot of problems finding alfafa pellets that my goats will eat. I've tried TSC a couple times, our local mill & the feed store I buy most of my stuff from. Most of them are bigger & hard & even when I finally found some that were about the size of rabbit pellets my doe's still wouldn't eat them.

One bag I got at TSC before if you stuck your hand in the bag & pulled it out it looked like I had sawdust on it, the same color as sawdust too. They did take them back.
I do use 18% rabbit pellets by ADM alliance in there feed ration ever since & haven't had a problem. I know not many here do that though.

Ozark Jewls posted either this a.m. or yesterday on a different thread about not mixing the alfafa pellets in with the grain & then her doe's will eat them.

shiandpete.1 · #3 03/16/10, 09:20 PM

Can you visit a co op? Or can you get Stanlee pellets? They all seem to stay the same size.

Jyllie63 · #4 03/16/10, 09:31 PM

Well that explains why my doe won't eat the alfalfa pellets. I just opened a bag yesterday

. I find if I buy them from a different feed store than TSC they are VERY dusty. The bag we just used up from TSC (producer's pride) was dustier than usual, but she liked them. This new bag (producer's pride) she doesn't like at all. The pellets are much greener. I guess I'll just buy the haystretcher from now on.

deetu · #5 03/17/10, 10:08 AM

So I'm not the only one.. humm...
I think I will try to feed it separate

Brandon · #6 03/17/10, 10:14 AM

How often do you feed? If you're feeding once per day, don't feed them one day and they will be hungrier the next. Goats are oftenfinicky with new feeds even though it may be something they may eventually prefer. If that doesn't work, get a bag of dried molasses and mix with it to increase palatability and reduce dust, and if that doesn't work, just start mixing the pellets in at a lower rate than normal. My goats basically eat anything now, because I've fed them so many different things over the years.

wintrrwolf · #7 03/17/10, 10:31 AM

Just recently added alfalfa pellets to grain rations, my goats are gobbling them up. Nothing is being left behind.

michael1 · #8 03/17/10, 09:22 PM

I quit feeding grain at all a few weeks ago. I give my girls and boy alfalfa pellets in the morning ( a 3 gallon bucket for 37 does and 1 buck) and they eat every one.This time of year I don't give them anything in the pm in favor of letting them clear my fields. They're happier and I'm happier ( lower feed costs).

deetu · #9 03/17/10, 10:24 PM

My goats ate the original alfalfa pellets. Tractor Supply got their shipment from a different mill that had a different texture making them larger and harder then normal. You can hear them crunching. I was asking if anyone noticed a difference in their pellets or had any suggestions since my one doe is refusing to eat and is pregnant.

I am actually considering leaving out the alfalfa and staying with just the grain. I used to feed grain and hay only and they did well on it. The idea of them eating and then not eating the alfalfa and maybe having a calcium drop at birthing isn't something I want to worry about. So what do you think? Can I drop out the alfalfa at this point or will there be problems?

Backfourty,MI. · #10 03/18/10, 06:44 AM

Can you find smaller alfafa pellets at a different feed store & put them in a seperate bucket to see if they will eat them? Or what about the Hay stretcher that TSC sells? I wonder how much alfafa in that? It's also in pellet form & I know alot of folks use it. I was going to try it before but use the rabbit pellets instead.

deetu · #11 03/18/10, 08:11 AM

funny thing katie, seems the reason they had to get the alfalfa from a different mill was because they were going thru too much alfalfa pellets because they couldn't get the hay streatcher. And I've tried every store in my area... no co-ops.

I'm hesitant to use the rabbit because of the pregnancy. If they weren't, I'd give it a go. I did give them the left over rabbit as treats when my rabbit died but not as a staple.
thanks