Boss?

Hannah90 · #1 11/27/12, 09:13 PM

So, every so often I see folks talking about feeding their goats black oil sunflower seeds. I am entirely new to goats... Can anyone key me in on the benefits to BOSS? Ive seen peopl feeding their chickens and dairy cows boss as well. Help?

Alice In TX/MO · #2 11/27/12, 09:15 PM

Black oil sunflower seeds (BOSS): Black oil sunflower seeds contain vitamin E, zinc, iron, and selenium and also add fiber and fat to the diet. BOSS make the goats' coats shinier and increase the butterfat in their milk. Mix the seeds into your goats' grain; they eat them shell and all.

From: (sorry for the name)

Supplemental Feed for Your Goats - For Dummies

LoneStrChic23 · #3 11/28/12, 09:17 AM

Yup, what Alice said

Used to feed BOSS for the extra fat, but the price jumped through the roof. Then I used rice bran pellets as they had more fat for less $$, but those too jumped out of reasonable price range. So now I drizzle,a bit of oil (mine prefer coconut oil) on top of their grain.

Alice In TX/MO · #4 11/28/12, 10:17 AM

oooooh. Hadn't thought of that!

LoneStrChic23 · #5 11/28/12, 10:41 AM

Mine REALLY love coconut oil. Bleuberry likes it when I just bring her a spoonful of it in it's solid form, she'll eat it like a cookie.... Since the mornings are in the high 30's - low 40's now, the coconut oil stays solid on the trip to the barn

You could use cheaper oils too, but I have a stash of coconut oil that I bought in bulk, so that's what I use..... And it's still cheaper than BOSS & Rice bran pellets.

Hollowdweller · #6 11/28/12, 12:14 PM

I used to put them in my feed but for some reason my goats, not all but several thought that they were some sort of sinister contaminent to their feed and would nose around them or even toss the feeders off the milk stand.

Hannah90 · #7 11/28/12, 01:38 PM

There is an amish store that sells coconut oil in bulk. Maybe I'll stop by and pick some up. Thanks for the info!

Alice In TX/MO · #8 11/28/12, 02:41 PM

I need an Amish store. Don't know of any in South Texas.

Hannah90 · #9 11/28/12, 02:48 PM

Oh I feel so lucky to live near an amish community. Its a great thing!

Jyllie63 · #10 11/28/12, 04:41 PM

Would Sunflower oil carry any of the same benefits as BOSS?

Minelson · #11 11/28/12, 07:43 PM

Is that the virgin raw coconut oil? Or just the regular coconut oil?

LoneStrChic23 · #12 11/28/12, 08:27 PM

Any coconut oil will work..... I used to raise Chinese Cresteds and used coconut oil for their weekly skin scrubs (hairless, prone to acne, but needed moisture) so I was buying the good, organic, virgin stuff in bulk for them and for our cooking... When I waited for an order, I used just some cheap stuff from Wally world for the goats for about a month with no noticeable difference.

I know someone who uses corn oil and likes it.... It's just added fat.... I don't but corn oil personally, so I just use what I keep on hand.

Pony · #13 11/29/12, 07:53 PM

Price of BOSS has dropped. Not as low as it was a couple of years ago, but it's around $20 for a 50 pound bag. Not too shabby, and the goats love it.

yeah, they're spoiled.

The Tin Mom · #14 11/29/12, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pony

Price of BOSS has dropped. Not as low as it was a couple of years ago, but it's around $20 for a 50 pound bag. Not too shabby, and the goats love it.

yeah, they're spoiled.

WooHOO! Just used up the the last bag that was over $30 for 50#! I was putting off going to TSC to get another - but now I am inspired! (Yep- ours are spoiled, too!) 3 oz each every day - they fight over it!))

LoneStrChic23 · #15 11/29/12, 09:14 PM

I got a 10% off coupon in the mail for TSC..... Checked their BOSS to see if I'd be willing to spring for it and at $27.99 for 40lbs, no way!!

So they get their coconut oil and for spoiling, I got them a new bag of frosted animal cookies

Donna1982 · #16 11/29/12, 09:24 PM

Our feed store sells it for 3.99 for a 5 lb bag. They do not get tons so i buy 10 lbs for the month.

BoerMomma · #17 11/29/12, 10:18 PM

How much BOSS should be fed per goat?? I just started adding it in with grain.

yarrow · #18 11/29/12, 11:07 PM

Boss has dropped from $25.00 (50lbs) down to $19.50 !!!! We go thru a bag each week, so anytime prices drop I'm a happy camper! even whole oats are down under $10 a bag....hopefully the downward crawl will continue

susie, mo. ozarks

Frosted Mini's · #19 11/30/12, 01:12 AM

Feed's staying pretty high in these parts (relatively speaking). I've found a mill nearby that does ground flax-I feed them enough in their grain to take it up to a 5% fat content (I found a reference with fat content of flax and then figured with my handy dandy feeds and rations book-at least school was good for something! on the rest of the stuff). I had it tested to be sure, and yep, spot on 5% fat. You don't really want to go much above 4-5% fat in the total diet, but I figure that much in the grain is probably good enough. Unfortunately, they just told me at the mill that the cost is going up. Boo.

I went to Costco and looked at their cooking oil isle, and per amount of fat (oil is 100% fat) each one was cheaper then the flax, except for the coconut oil-even the olive oil is cheaper. So, I may be going that route...unless I can find some whole soybeans or something-I'm not really sure they are digestible though (beans have some kind of anti-nutritional factors and need to be processed-roasted, soaked, etc-according to my nutrition teacher who I emailed about it before).

CaliannG · #20 11/30/12, 08:47 AM

I wouldn't go with beans, actually, unless you are willing to cook them to release the nutrients. For goats, they are not very bioavailable. Soybean meal is okay, but not for fat.

I try to keep my girls at 20% protein and 8% fat in the last 2 months of pregnancy, and then when they are in milk, switch it to 16% protein and 20% fat. But then again, I feed for butterfat.

When I can feasibly buy custom formulated feed, I would LOVE to up that to 25% fat, 16% protein, 9% fiber, and 50% carbs.