2 questions

mamahen · #1 03/09/05, 08:31 AM

I hate to ask these, maybe they've been answered before, but I couldn't find just exactly the right answers.

1. Can goats have alfalfa pellets with out any extra hay, or minimal hay? I found pellets & they love, love, love them, but my hay supplier won't return my calls, & I can't find anyone. My mom bought them the cubes, but I'm afraid they'll choke on them, some of them are huge! I did give them some of the small pieces, they love them, also.

2. Mineral blocks, I found 2 for goats. One says for goats & beef cattle on pasture, with selenium at 100 ppm, the other is for goats & sheep with 1 ppm. I already have the latter block, 1ppm (my 2nd block in 4 wks

), but should I get the cattle & goat one next time, with the extra selenium?

Thanks!!

Tricia

rhjacobi · #2 03/09/05, 09:05 AM

Hi Tricia,

The mineral blocks should be for goats only. If the mineral blocks are also for sheep, they won't have enough copper in them for goats.

Bob
Lynchburg, TN.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamahen

I hate to ask these, maybe they've been answered before, but I couldn't find just exactly the right answers.

1. Can goats have alfalfa pellets with out any extra hay, or minimal hay? I found pellets & they love, love, love them, but my hay supplier won't return my calls, & I can't find anyone. My mom bought them the cubes, but I'm afraid they'll choke on them, some of them are huge! I did give them some of the small pieces, they love them, also.

2. Mineral blocks, I found 2 for goats. One says for goats & beef cattle on pasture, with selenium at 100 ppm, the other is for goats & sheep with 1 ppm. I already have the latter block, 1ppm (my 2nd block in 4 wks

), but should I get the cattle & goat one next time, with the extra selenium?

Thanks!!

Tricia

mary,tx · #3 03/09/05, 09:13 AM

I'd also go with the goat/cattle mineral which also has the extra selenium.
I'm of the opinion that goats still need hay or graze with the alfalfa pellets. I am aware that others disagree.
mary

debitaber · #4 03/09/05, 09:13 AM

yes, you can feed alfalfha pettets only. now that might get expensive, but you can sure do it. it would be very good for your goats, too.

TexCountryWoman · #5 03/09/05, 03:44 PM

I feed free choice alfalfa pellets to my goats, that is, I keep their feed pans full at all times. However, I firmly believe that because they are rumenants, it is very important to keep a goat's rumen full and functioning at all times....that means hay or roughage. I feed Coastal Bermuda hay free choice pulled by hand from high-quality round bales we set out for our horses and cattle and donkeys. It is a LOT of work for me to work that hay out of the round bales each day but it is cheap and I can through a bunch in their sheds and it acts as bedding as well.

I hesitate to feed my goats their grain ration unless their tummies are full of hay first. Just my thing. So my goats get Coastal Hay, free choice alfalfa pellets and their grain which is 16% horse feed. They get free choice GOAT salt in the loose form (which I have found is a pain to keep fresh but they do eat it when they feel they need it). Now that they are nearing their delivery dates, they are getting their grain (horse feed) twice a day. My goats are seldom hungry, none are overweight, all are fleshed out correctly but one that I am still trying to put a bit more weight on (my main milker).

If anyone sees a glaring problem with my feeding plan...let me know. It works for me, but their is always room for improvement!

Sarah J · #6 03/09/05, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamahen

I hate to ask these, maybe they've been answered before, but I couldn't find just exactly the right answers.

1. Can goats have alfalfa pellets with out any extra hay, or minimal hay? I found pellets & they love, love, love them, but my hay supplier won't return my calls, & I can't find anyone. My mom bought them the cubes, but I'm afraid they'll choke on them, some of them are huge! I did give them some of the small pieces, they love them, also.

2. Mineral blocks, I found 2 for goats. One says for goats & beef cattle on pasture, with selenium at 100 ppm, the other is for goats & sheep with 1 ppm. I already have the latter block, 1ppm (my 2nd block in 4 wks

), but should I get the cattle & goat one next time, with the extra selenium?

Thanks!!

Tricia

Alfalfa pellets is nothing more than dehydrated alfalfa. It IS the hay, just with a lot less moisture and neatly bagged up in small pellets for them. They do not need other hay with them, though they may *prefer* some "real" hay. Be sure to provide plenty of water as the alfalfa pellets don't provide any like actual hay does.

The mineral block for cattle and goats is fine, but not the one that says for sheep and goats - not enough copper in it for the goats. A lot of people feed loose cattle minerals to their goats. I prefer the loose minerals because they don't seem to get enough of what they need by licking the block. I have the PVC mineral and baking soda feeders out and I don't provide anything more in the way of salt - they have to eat their minerals for the salt.

Hope this all helps!

Sarah

TexCountryWoman · #7 03/09/05, 04:38 PM

I still feel like goats need "real" hay. I know what alfalfa pellets are made of, but I feel that goats need the bulkiness of real hay in addition. My goats bodies look so small and empty when I have let them run out of fresh Coastal and all they have left in their barns to eat is alfalfa pellets. They have plenty left to eat but they are visably less full. I don't like that look. I want that rumen FULL of bulk everyday. Just my opinion!