As for the quantity you are feeding your bucks, I would not give them more than 1/2 to 1 cup of grain twice a day, depending upon breed (smaller breed would be less grain). You want to give goats a good nutrient-dense diet so they stay healthy. Our freezer wethers have been fine, but I want to avoid problems with pregnant does. Oh, and hes losing his fur. Will this work for the babies? Here is an article that tells you more: Besides our horses we use them with our pigs and chickens. I dont think my doeling took, as my wether has been mounting her (shes not standing for him). Alfalfa is calcium rich. You dont usually see that in bucks until theyre a year old or more when they are really mostly done growing. Use care if you have autoimmune diseases or hormone-related conditions. So excited to see that there is now an organic option. If you dont have access to large storage space for dried alfalfa, then you can instead buy alfalfa in pellet form. Can you give a schedule with related amounts for those does? Hi- someone gave me a cahrt with cal to phos ratios, where it said a 50/50 mix fo sunflower seeds and alfalfa pellets was the correct balance for wethers for an occasional treat. Thrifty Homesteader is about creating a more sustainable life, but what exactly does that mean? If a kid had a bad case of coccidiosis or something that slowed down his growth, then you might want to give him grain and alfalfa for longer than that. Can I feed this brand of alfalfa pellets? I only have 3 goats, so that is obviously not feasible. Really small kids may have trouble eating the pellets because they are not small, but they dont eat much of anything anyway. She is eating vigorously and is alert and playful. Wethers and dry does are very easy keepers, so there is no need to try to trick them into consuming minerals or baking soda. Its crazy poo. Alfalfa is said to help with this, but can in the quantities required cause other problems like zinc deficiency. Alfalfa is great for pregnant goats. A good green grass hay will be fine if you are not breeding your goats. Assuming bucks have excellent pasture, browse, and/or hay, they dont need grain. I have never used alfalfa pellets but they should like a wonderful solution to keeping the girls busy while being milked without giving to much grain. And overweight does are harder to get pregnant. Here is more on zinc deficiency If they start losing hair in random spots or foaming at the mouth, Id suspect zinc deficiency. Its a great source of fiber, calcium, protein and, most importantly, variety. Also known as ruminal tympany, this potentially life-threatening condition comes in frothy bloat and free gas bloat. I have never used pellets with goats, but can see where this would be great in many ways. When you say grass hay is that the timothy hay? Goats eat plants and digest them via a four-compartment stomach as ruminant animals. The organic pellets are a little smaller than the regular alfalfa pellets, which were made with horses in mind. https://thriftyhomesteader.com/what-do-goats-eat-it-depends/ First, make sure your goat has access to fresh, clean water and baking soda. Keep in mind that ruminants really should not get grain because its not good for their rumen period. With being an ambassador to this company, how hard would it be to talk them into producing pellets the same size a rabbit food pellets? Worms could be a possibility also, if you are not rotating pastures. But ironically, too much calcium causes its own problems. Only does in milk or pregnant does need that much calcium. Feeding management issues may include overfeeding, sudden changes in the feeding schedule and in the . Alfalfa is not only suitable for consumption by goats, it is also good for other ruminants, such as goats, cattle, camels, etc. Click here tovisit our Amazon store, which includes a list of things goats need. Some people swear by it, while others claim its dangerous for their animals. I have 3 pygmys as pets. . In the process, they produce large numbers of eggs (technically called oocysts) that are passed in the feces. Can you explain what you are seeing and what you are doing when you see whatever you are seeing? It would help if you did not feed alfalfa out of free choice. At a bare minimum, goats need 7% crude protein (pregnant goats need 12% crude protein rather than 11% as they are lactating). Sometimes I sprinkle the little bit of the sweet feed in the minerals and baking soda hoping they get some in this way. He gets 1/4 cup grain and 1/4 beet pulp per day shared with a doe his age. Our goats are fine down to -20 degrees yes, 20 below zero Fahrenheit. I really hope you are feeding him more than just 1 cup of pellets twice a day because thats not enough. The only possible problem with too much alfalfa would be too much calcium, which causes zinc deficiency, so if she starts to blow her coat in the middle of winter or foam at the mouth, Id switch to timothy only. Or something else? My two does are in milk, plus I have a doeling and a wether, coming up on 8 months old. I was new to goats and did not have any clue what to look for in a nutritional analysis. The goat goes off food and may appear distressed, uncomfortable, or in pain. But it was ok to feed to does. (And no, kelp does not have much zinc in it. If not, you can mix it into chickens feed or sprinkle on your garden around your tomato plants. We feed grass hay to our goats and I was going to start giving them alfalfa pellets but I see that is not a good think unless they are in milk. I am very interested in adding alfalfa pellets to their daily feed, as Im concerned about feeding them too much grain. (Helpful Content!). Alfalfa pellets are commonly available at livestock feed stores, as are timothy pellets and other grass pellets. Diarrhea In Goats: Causes, Treatment & Related Questions We have already purchased both. I have been interested in trying alfalfa pellets but havent gotten around to it yet. Ill try the Standlee brand; have been buying from the co-op more recently but I know TSC carries Standlee. Colleen, The pellets are actually quite hard and would be impossible to eat without teeth unless you soak them in water first. However, goats do need some long-stem forage in their diet to keep their rumen working properly, so hay pellets work great in addition to pasture, forage, and/or regular hay. You dont have to ration it like you do the alfalfa hay. Goats need high amounts of fiber in their diets like a lot of ruminants. Urinary calculi are most often caused by too little water intake and overfeeding of grain. An easy way to avoid these problems is to ensure your goats always have access to clean fresh water. Since it is just hay that has been pulverized, she can eat as much as she wants. Reading Time: 10 minutes By Rev. But what about alfalfa for goats precisely? During the winter, goats need more calories to help them maintain a healthy body temperature and a good body weight. Since you are soaking it though, I wouldnt mix up more than she can eat in a few hours because you dont want it to start to grow mold (if you are in a warm climate) or freeze (if you are in a cold climate). Thanks for the info! One other important thing to note about alfalfa hay is that although it is incredibly high in nutrients, you can still have too much for a good thing. You also did not mention browse, but unless your goats are going to get daily browse, your chances of having healthy goats is not great if you go grain free. They are both 2 and a half years old. We have been convinced for some time that grain is bad for our goats, and do not intentionally feed any. Nasty. Ive had goats for only 9 months and have I ever had lots to learn! Do you have any advice for the situation? Theres no single cause when it comes to bloat, but usually, it has to do with something in the diet. I have a doe that was bred about 4.5 weeks ago. Free choice? You can feed as much as you want, especially if youre trying to keep a goat happy on the milkstand. He can nibble grass but cant chew hay. Since they are still growing a lot at this age, they can utilize the calcium, but once their growth slows down, they dont really need it unless they are growing babies or making milk. Where do you purchase your organic alfalfa pellets? It should be possible! Any ideas would be most appreciated. The outside will fade to brown over a few months, but when you open the bale, it should be mostly green. The calcium/phos ratio really confuses me but I dont want to hurt them. Feed Dr. Pol's Healthy Goat Alfalfa Recipe to goats that have been vaccinated for enterotoxemia. Sweet feed, mule feed, haylage, balayage, and moisture-laden alfalfa-based products should never be fed to goats. I have actually been looking for a recipe to make some type of cake/biscuit out of the powdered pellets so that there is no waste. Uses of Alfalfa Diarrhea is a symptom of several goat illnesses, including Johne . What Can I Give My Goat For Diarrhea? - TheAcademy.quest I gave them to a friend how picked them up. Approximately two-thirds of the birth weight of a developing fetus is gained during the last . Help! Ive been giving them a small amount if mixed grain to lure them. The goats eating protein-rich foods could not get the required proteins, all the proteins and nutrients could not be sucked by the goat's body everything is expelled from their body in loose motion. LOVE this idea! Management of late pregnancy sheep and goats - MSU Extension If you want to know more about chickens, quail, and goats, The Happy Chicken Coop is the place to be! Alfalfa is believed to act as a buffer to this acidity, due to the high levels of proteins and minerals. Ruminants are unique in their ability to . Here is more info on what goats eat If they are more than about 6 to 9 months old, they really dont need that much calcium. They dont seem to care much for anything in there pen except the leaves they can reach. Instead, it would help if you introduced alfalfa hay slowly and in small increments so that the bacteria in the goats rumens have time to adjust. What is Hypocalcemia in Goats? And how you can PREVENT it! - A Life Of I think she has lost her back. Most excerpts recommend feeding alfalfa in small doses. Some brands sell pellets specific to the animal i.e., goat pellets vs. horse pellets. Update: Our little buck is happy and healthy! Again, alfalfa is high in protein and fiber, making it an ideal choice for goats raised for meat or milk production. I have no clue how much they weigh so I dont know how much to feed them. Goats are smaller, and have smaller teeth, so its a little easier for them to eat pellets that are smaller. Goat Bloat: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention - Backyard Goats Would you think the 1/2 and 1/2 ratio for winter would be safe? Prices vary, so youll have to check your local stores. Just as we mix the pellets into the grain for the goats, we also mix it with the pigs grain. Poor sanitation, especially over longer periods of time, could lead to bacterial infections, or parasites contamination of the goats. Was that partially due to feeding the medicated goat feed? One of my goats finishes her grain really fast and gets antsy that I am not finished milking. As I said before theres endless grass for them to eat. There would certainly be a huge market for them, as goat popularity is exploding. Its also how I trained my super wild, never handled 3 yr olds. Baby Goats Switching Milk Types. I would love to try a bag of this. If your sheep dont need alfalfa, Standlee also makes an orchard grass and timothy grass pellet, as well as a mixed grass-alfalfa pellet. Coccidiosis is the most common culprit for diarrhea in baby goats that range from three weeks to five months old. The protein content and ADF should be below 35% for a goat. Id love to give myself a little more leeway on the milkstand by adding pellets during milking time I am still not very fast! In fact, baking soda is an antacid, so you should hope that your goats do not ever need it. Goats like to explore the world using their mouths. My goats love alfalfa pellets. Coccidiosis is caused by microscopic protozoan parasites called coccidian (Eimeria spp.). I currently use the regular alfalfa pellets from them but a few of my goats dont like the large size, so these might work really well! And whats the difference between alfalfa and grass hay? My babies get introduce to alfalfa pellets at about 2 weeks old (a snack during night time separation from mom), they work up from a handful of pellets with no grain to about 1 1/2 cups pellets with 2 cups grain and stay with that till freshening.
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