If you couldn't get decent alfalfa...

[Tabgirl]

Ok, so I am trying to make a decision on the direction of my feeding (I have mostly LaMancha Dairy goats, 1 Saanen and 1 Boer). I was feeding the 2nd cutting alfalfa, they loved it of course, but there was a ton of waste and at $12 a bale, that waste gets expensive! I also feed a local grass hay, that they eat, but aren't as crazy about it as they are the alfalfa (of course).

So I decide to test out alfalfa pellets + grass hay + free choice loose minerals (Wolfkill Copper Penny blend) and whole grains on the stand -- for the milkers only. It still doesn't feel like the right mix for us...and I am choking again on the price of alfalfa (and alfalfa hay availability is very low right now).

I am looking at a 2012 crop of timothy/orchard/brome or timothy/orchard, so any of you hay experts want to teach a newbie, would you feed either of these blends?

I know almost everyone swears by 2nd cutting alfa, but I am wondering if it's really necessary...calicum supplement users want to chime in here? How is that experiment going?

[Chaty]

I cant get Alfalfa hay here and I have dairy goats also. I feed whole oats , goat grain & Alfalfa pellets. My girls are making so much milk and if and when I can find alfalfa its so high and with all the waste its more economical for me to feed pellets and no waste...I would go with the pellets and a good hay.

[Ford Zoo]

I am so out of it on some things. Regarding grass hay: My dairy girls always seem to do better on the "skinny" grasses, they eat it up and have less waste. I buy round bales from one source for everything and the girls always get the bales of skinny hay. I have no idea what it is and havn't bothered to ask.

[Minelson]

I can get good 2nd, 3rd, 4th cutting alf here for 4.50-5.50 a bale. I also have horses and when you have those there is never waste...they love the stems. BUT< I choose to feed the Standlee alf pellets. It's just so easy and affordable with 3 goats/2 horses. Well 5 goats now. I feel I have more control over the amount and I have enough trouble dealing with the grass bales with my aching back. Plus they seem to see it as more of a treat when it makes a shake noise in a feed dish.

[DianneIverson2]

I buy really nice green orchard hay and feed Super Goat grain. I also feed soaked beet pulp .I feed alfalfa pellets when I give them their grain on the milk stand.

[DamnearaFarm]

When I can't get alfalfa hay I mix pellets in with the Co-op's dairy goat enhancer and go with a good grass hay. With us we have little to no waste on the alfalfa hay. The goats clean up what they're given and when I cut the bale open I put it on an old feed bag. The bag catches the fallen leaves and I feed that to the rabbits.

[mygoat]

If you have a lot of waste it's for a couple reasons - bad hay or bad hay feeders. If you feed them stemmy alfalfa, they're NOT going to eat the stems. Of course, the leaves from the alfalfa often fall off the stems, and that's why I go for a grass mix - seems like there's lest leaf waste IMO. Bad hay feeders can lead to a lot of waste, too, if they can just pull it out and step on it. Once it's stepped on or pooed/peed on (or near!) they won't eat it.

Personally, we can't get any alfalfa right now. They still NEED a calcium source if they're dairy or lactating. We're doing calcium carbonate on the grain, and free choice grass hay.