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11/27/10, 10:10 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,377
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Learn me about Chaffhaye
Three questions here.
Have been looking into Chaffhaye. Anybody here feed it? Are there any downsides to it?
For those who do, since it's fed in tubs (plastic I assume) how do you keep your LGDs from chewing the snot out of them?
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Bob and Nancy Dickey
Laughing Stock Boer Goats
"Seriously Great Bloodlines"
and the meat goes on....
Near Seattle
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11/27/10, 11:08 PM
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More dharma, less drama.
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Texas Coastal Bend/S. Missouri
Posts: 30,482
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If you are in a humid climate, it has a tendency to mold before you can feed it all. Mold is deadly to goats.
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Alice
* * *
"No great thing is created suddenly." ~Epictitus
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11/27/10, 11:23 PM
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She who waits....
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: East of Bryan, Texas
Posts: 6,796
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I got several bags of it, the trial size, to see if my goats would like it.
You'd have thought I had offered them old, crushed concrete blocks covered in sawdust! You've never seen goat noses go up into the air so *fast*!
So, needless to say, the Chaffaye idea was nixed in these parts.
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Peace,
Caliann
"First, Show me in the Bible where it says you can save someone's soul by annoying the hell out of them." -- Chuck
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11/27/10, 11:50 PM
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Student of goatology.
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 3,131
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Sometimes I feed it when all I have is grass hay. When it was hot and humid at the end of summer, I couldn't use it fast enough and much went to waste from mold. In winter it's great. It took a while before mine decided it was good but now they eat it up. Can't say whether it made anymore milk or not but the babies were plump and does had a very nice bloom to them. I still prefer alfalfa pellets.
As for feeding in plastic tubs - I feed in a pvc trough. I have no LGDs to deal with that sort of thing.
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Cloven Trail Farm
Lord help me be the person my dog thinks I am!
Ja-Lyn's Radio Flyer, aka "Rad" on his 17th birthday.
9/14/93 -12/3/10.
Rest peacefully my soulmate, I'll love you forever.
Last edited by KimM; 11/27/10 at 11:52 PM.
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11/28/10, 03:56 AM
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: oregon
Posts: 1,109
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Chaffhaye is around 40% moisture. Alfalfa pellets around 12% moisture. Chaffehaye around 15.00 per 50 lb. Pellets 8.29 per 50 lbs in my area. I'm sticking with pellets.
Has anyone had Chaffehaye get frosty in freezing weather with all the moisture content?
Last edited by Laverne; 11/28/10 at 04:00 AM.
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11/28/10, 05:50 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Central WI
Posts: 5,391
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it's basically silage in small bags. You're paying for a lot of water.
Our goats liked it but it's way out of the range of profitability for us. We can make our own silage for the cost of some garbage bags.
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Deja Moo; The feeling I've heard this bull before.
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11/28/10, 01:25 PM
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Student of goatology.
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 3,131
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I pay $12. for either Chaffhaye or alfalfa pellets.
Yes it does get a little frosty when it's reeeeally cold. It never hurt anything though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Laverne
Chaffhaye is around 40% moisture. Alfalfa pellets around 12% moisture. Chaffehaye around 15.00 per 50 lb. Pellets 8.29 per 50 lbs in my area. I'm sticking with pellets.
Has anyone had Chaffehaye get frosty in freezing weather with all the moisture content?
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__________________
Cloven Trail Farm
Lord help me be the person my dog thinks I am!
Ja-Lyn's Radio Flyer, aka "Rad" on his 17th birthday.
9/14/93 -12/3/10.
Rest peacefully my soulmate, I'll love you forever.
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11/28/10, 03:13 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: California
Posts: 371
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I use it all the time and my goats seem to love it. There is not any wasted and its about the same price as a bale of alfalfa or alfalfa pellets. We aren't in a high humidity climate though so we really don't have much problems with the mold. We fed it the summer too and just kept it shaded in a cooler area. It was fine.
Chaffehay has a natural fermentation process that happens when packaged moist. Which basically turns the raw alfalfa into a very digestible forage with yeast, enzymes and lots of beneficial bacteria for the goaties. Since I have been using it my goats have had some beautiful changes in their coats and in their activity levels.
So, to say the least I have had a really positive experience with the Chaffehay. It does take some getting used to if you're used to feeding dry alfalfa flakes since it's a little more work to feed them with. But, the dense nutritional levels are worth it to me.
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11/28/10, 03:21 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,377
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Kye's reasons for using it & why have me interested but I wanted to hear the downsides too.
They say there's virtually no waste. We have come to the conclusion that it would in the long run cost less than alfalfa.
Plus less poop & strong urine. Also good bloom on their animals.
But all local dealers I've called no longer carry it, except one who has the last two bags on sale.
__________________
Bob and Nancy Dickey
Laughing Stock Boer Goats
"Seriously Great Bloodlines"
and the meat goes on....
Near Seattle
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11/28/10, 03:36 PM
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She who waits....
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: East of Bryan, Texas
Posts: 6,796
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Hmmm, you might want to make sure you CAN get it before trying any changes in your goat diets.
Pelleted silver flakes that cause your goats to milk liquid gold and poop diamonds won't do you a dang bit of good if no one west of the Mississippi is selling it.
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Peace,
Caliann
"First, Show me in the Bible where it says you can save someone's soul by annoying the hell out of them." -- Chuck
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11/28/10, 04:00 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,377
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Well said CaliannG!
__________________
Bob and Nancy Dickey
Laughing Stock Boer Goats
"Seriously Great Bloodlines"
and the meat goes on....
Near Seattle
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11/28/10, 04:53 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: California
Posts: 371
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We only have one feed store in our area out of seven that carries Chaffehay. It's great stuff but unfortunately pretty tough to find. Especially in the midwest. It doesn't seem to be as popular because of the humidity/mold factor.
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11/28/10, 06:43 PM
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Hudson, MI
Posts: 656
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It seems economical if you live in area where good alfalfa hay is expensive. What I don't like about it is the fact that it has molasses in it. I find that molasses in feed affects the flavor of my goat's milk and NOT in a good way. I have never used chaffhaye but I would be worried that feeding it to dairy animals might make the milk taste groady...of course, some people might not notice or mind the taste as much as I do. I am extremely sensitive to different smells and tastes.
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11/28/10, 09:58 PM
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Student of goatology.
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 3,131
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Wow, I never experienced that. Someone posted about beet pulp making their milk taste better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FunnyRiverFarm
It seems economical if you live in area where good alfalfa hay is expensive. What I don't like about it is the fact that it has molasses in it. I find that molasses in feed affects the flavor of my goat's milk and NOT in a good way. I have never used chaffhaye but I would be worried that feeding it to dairy animals might make the milk taste groady...of course, some people might not notice or mind the taste as much as I do. I am extremely sensitive to different smells and tastes.
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__________________
Cloven Trail Farm
Lord help me be the person my dog thinks I am!
Ja-Lyn's Radio Flyer, aka "Rad" on his 17th birthday.
9/14/93 -12/3/10.
Rest peacefully my soulmate, I'll love you forever.
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