Sondra New Member. We grew up in gardening families, without livestock. The treated hay ferments in the bag, adding good bacteria that’s easy for goats to digest. Pellets are easy to feed and easy to measure the correct amount to be fed. Today, we go through the topic of Alfalfa Cultivation for Dairy, Goat, Sheep, Livestock and its health benefits and side effects. The simple feeder shown here is easy to make, easy to use, and holds enough hay to feed 8 to 15 goats … Mine love fruit and veggies as well as leaves, weeds and hay. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Most options include one or more of the following forms of grain: rolled grain, whole grain or textured grain. I'd seek out mom and pop feed stores in your area and ask for a good legume and grass mix of hay. Because alfalfa is easy to waste, the specialists argue that it is best that you invest in pellets. 9,442 1 0. Aug 22, 2012 #9 Roll … For that reason, Alfalfa hay is a great choice because of it’s higher protein amounts. Grass hay provides a moderate amount of protein and energy for the goat diet. Goats need hay. Another thing that you should not ignore has to do with vaccines. Leaving the rest, roughly 1/2 the bale. Alfalfa hay is also popular for feeding goats and has more protein, vitamins, and minerals than grass hays, typically. Sep 3, 2010 #13 . I did it because whan you say goats, the farmers around here think you can feed them the moldy stuff they can not sell to anyone else. Feeding hay and alfalfa. The stems become courser and more fibrous, so the values are highest when the plant is young. According to specialists, these animals need at least eight hours of grazing each day. Saves us $$$$. Goats don’t generally do well on Klein Grass hay, but they thrive on peanut hay and alfalfa. With alternative feeds, we recommend wet chemistry analysis to determine nutrient content. How about goats who are milking? In fact, some vets argue that alfalfa is the only kind of hay that can provide lactating does with the necessary amount of proteins. Good quality is horse hay. And goats on pasture have different needs than goats in confinement. The goats LOVE it. Goats can learn to graze a pasture, but don’t expect it to be “mowed.” The grass helps supplement the goats’ diet, but low grazing also can spread parasites. Most vets also inform pet owners that if they feed grain to their companions they have to regularly check for signs of obesity. This is true because a byproduct of bacterial fermentation is heat. If you don’t raise alfalfa, but you want your goats to get that extra protein, then feed them alfalfa hay twice per day while they forage too. Therefore, feeding your pets correctly can keep them warm from the inside out. Goats are unable to sort out leaves from the stems, resulting in little to no waste. The calcium that goats need is found through Legumes, such as alfalfa or perennial peanut hay. What hay is best for goats? I usually feed prairie hay to my goats and the pellets to make up for not feeding the alfalfa hay. alfalfa hay for goats To put it in perspective, one 50-pound bag of chaffhaye is the equivalent of an 85 or a 100-pound bale of hay. Premium Alfalfa Hay for Sale Our premium Alfalfa Hay is properly cured, baled, and stored to ensure the highest leaf to stem ratio and optimal moisture. I wish it wasn't so darn expensive, and grass hay is just as high. They look like rabbit pellets. Especially if they are not foragers. Minerals are also a vital part of the day-to-day nutrition of a goat. If you have a good quality Alfalfa hay that has a ratio within the range of 2:1-5:1 (actually a bit below 6:1) it is FINE to feed to any goat, does, wethers or bucks. A doe (a female goat) in milk needs a much richer diet than a wether (a castrated male goat). Alfalfa hay - If you don't have enough space for your pygmy goats, you can feed them alfalfa hay when they can't graze. Texturized grain: Similar to rolled grain, texturized feed mixes usually have other ingredients added to improve nutrition. Alfalfa does not cause urinary calculi. I will be ordering more, as this came quickly and was a beautiful green color. If you own more than a few goats, it might be a good idea to invest in an automatic watering system. A grass and grain feeding regimen will be heavy on phosphorus and begging for UC. Unless you have a lot of property with a variety of browse, feed will be your biggest expense in raising goats. Your pet should be vaccinated for rabies, Clostridium, and tetanus. She writes a blog (ruminationsongoats.blogspot.com) and is an expert on goats at allexperts.com. The best pastures available are those that contain mixes of grass and clover. Good quality alfalfa hay is one of the most palatable and digestible forage sources that can be offered to any class of horse. Legume hays, such as clover and alfalfa, usually have more protein, vitamins, and minerals, particularly calcium, than grass hays. Goats will ingest approximately 120% more energy from an alfalfa hay that they would from an oat style of hay. This way, the pastures can regenerate and you can also avoid having to deal with parasite problems. Actually alfalfa is not a grass; it is a legume, like clover. Before you start feeding your pet goat too much grain mixes, you should remember that grain is very rich in fats. Hay is the main source of nutrients for goats in non-grazing seasons, or all the time if they don’t have access to browse. It can be a good choice for feeding milking goats as it has more protein, energy and calcium. Some are formulated specifically for goats. The alfalfa hay is a bit rich for boys and is only ok if your other feeds for him are balencing out the ratio. It is ideal for ensuring maximum health and well-being of all classes of horse, deer, … The goats were better able to eat the hay with the door off to this crate, but this is it with a bale of hay inside. Perennial peanut hay is a high quality multi-purpose forage and has a calcium and phosphorus content similar to alfalfa. I would save that for your bred or milking doe and give Pan some sort of mix grass hay. If you keep your goats and your sheep together, it is advisable that you invest in minerals that are suitable for both species. They need the roughage to keep their rumens functioning properly. How about Nigerian Dwarf goats? We inspect and grade every cutting of hay … So, if you own a goat, or if you are just interested in the subject, be sure to keep on reading. These vaccines should only be administered by somebody that has the training to do so. Pelleted grain mixes or grain, in general, can also be supplied to goats as it can provide the necessary vitamins and minerals. The goats don’t waste so much alfalfa when it’s in pellets, and you can limit who gets it by combining it with their grain. I read that goats need the roughage from hay to keep their rumen functioning properly. Our goats always have access to grass hay. Alfalfa is enriched with high protein, … It's crazy. What Goats Need Alfalfa Hay? So when it came time to start buying hay for our goats… To not interfere with this process, it is advisable that you do not make drastic changes to the diet of your goad. To put it in perspective, one 50-pound bag of chaffhaye is the equivalent of an 85 or a 100-pound bale of hay. Alfalfa, which is scientifically called as Medicago Sativa is a plant which belongs to the legume species and is the one which grows perennially. If you have a pasture, then you’ll only need to give them hay during the times of the year when they can’t graze. Per 100 pounds of body weight, a goat needs up to two pounds of chaffhaye. Mature sheep can get by on good-quality grass hay, but lambs do better with a legume—harvested while still growing so that it … If I feed all they want, they will pick out the leaves and leave the stems and powdery stuff behind. Grain options include the following: Whole grain: This is the whole, unprocessed grain seed head. The best system that you can implement to make sure that your goats are healthy is to alternate between two pastures. I can't afford to waste hay. Rebellion Ranch 22,235 views. My guinea pigs remain unimpressed, but my mini-goats go nuts for it. I only buy horse quality hay. If you are still not sure what goat shed design best fits the space that you have available, take a look at the models that we have selected for you and added in the buying guide that we have prepared on the topic. While the rabies vaccine can be somewhat hard on the animals, the other ones are not. When an alfalfa crop is properly cared for, baled, and stored, the high leaf to stem ratio can provide a very high quality forage product. alfalfa hay for goats, Find Quality alfalfa hay for goats and Buy alfalfa hay for goats from Reliable Global alfalfa hay for goats Suppliers from mobile site on m.alibaba.com. How Your Water is Affecting Your Goats. If you want to be extra safe, you can contact your local County Agricultural commissioner as he/she will be able to provide you with a complete list of plants that are poisonous. Alfalfa is a legume, which means that it can fix nitrogen from the atmosphere that is then converted to protein in the plant. Legume hays, such as clover and alfalfa, usually have more protein, vitamins, and minerals, particularly calcium, than grass hays. mabeane, Sep 3, 2010. mabeane, Sep 3, 2010. However, this does not mean that goats cannot eat alfalfa in general. It can be a good choice for feeding milking goats as it has more protein, energy and calcium. And one more question, I've read that several people give alfalfa 24/7/365 whether milking, dry, pregnant, etc. freedomstarfarm, Apr 9, … You can feed alfalfa (and some grass hays) in pellet form if you don’t have storage or if you want to mix it with grain. Cheryl K. Smith has raised a small herd of dairy goats under the herd name Mystic Acres since 1998. You could give the main feeding of timothy in the morning and give the bonus dessert type flake of alfalfa at night, once they’ve spent the day eating the timothy hay. This estimation is true only when the product is fed as an alternative to hay. BTW- goats are all healthy!! By itself, alfalfa is too high in calcium and protein for healthy goats and should be limited to sick, pregnant, or debilitated animals. One crucial step that you have to make before you give access to the pet to pasture is to remove all the plants that might cause harm to them. I do feed my goats alfalfa pellets, it is in their feed mix. This is true because a byproduct of … Early to mid-winter is a time when does should be in early pregnancy. How many pounds would you feed to growing goats? Due to our area being deficient in calcium, I include alfalfa in my wethers' diets either in the form of alfalfa hay or alfalfa pellets, to provide them with the 2:1 calcium/phosphorus ratio they need. If you are a goat owner, you have probably heard about Chaffhaye. Our babies so far have nothing but alfalfa hay and their bottle, Around here it is up from $16 a bale 2 months a go to $22 a bale yesterday! How about Nigerian Dwarf goats? Asking the Right Questions before Buying Goats. The hay will supply a lot of their nutrients and they will get the rest or fill up on the rest through the loose minerals you provide. Orchard – This style of hay is lower in protein than alfalfa hay but boasts a higher percentage of fiber. In this short article, we will try to find an answer to the question of whether goats can eat alfalfa hay. Grass hay provides a moderate amount of protein and energy for the goat diet. Hay is the main source of nutrients for goats in non-grazing seasons, or all the time if they don’t have access to browse. Alfalfa should be introduced into the diet of a pregnant doe gradually because any sudden changes can lead to serious health problems. This Can Make All The Difference In Feeding Goats & Alpacas. Providing goats with a combination of alfalfa and grass hays along with the proper grain mix will bring the protein level up and insure that there is adequate roughage in the diet to stimulate the digestive action of the goat's rumen. Alfalfa (/ æ l ˈ f æ l f ə /), also called lucerne and called Medicago sativa in binomial nomenclature, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae.It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. In fact, some vets argue that alfalfa is the only kind of hay that can provide lactating does with the necessary amount of proteins. Many of the alternative feeds vary widely in nutrient content, making an analysis or some assessment of the feed value necessary. Sheep, like goats, prefer fine, leafy hay and will not eat coarse hay. Legume hay typically has the highest digestible energy, as the leaves do not change as the plant grows. There is some school of thought that feeding Alflafa to bucks or wethers can cause urinary calculi but I know many who have fed alfalfa to their bucks for years with no problems. Imbalance of calcium and phosphorus does. Today, we go through the topic of Alfalfa Cultivation for Dairy, Goat, Sheep, Livestock and its health benefits and side effects. Alfalfa is very high in protein relative to other hays. Be prepared for hay waste -- goats like to eat some parts of the hay and let the rest drop out of their mouths. To make chaffhaye, producers cut early alfalfa or grass, chop it, mist it with molasses, add the culture bacillus subtillis, and vacuum-pack it into 50-pound bags. When we began raising dairy goats, we barely knew hay from straw. Its protein content is about double that of grass hay. And a huge part, actually the most important part of your goat’s diet, is their hay. The only reason I ration it here is that they tend to waste it. Legumes such as these are higher in protein, energy, vitamin A and calcium than grasses. Chaffhaye is premium bagged, Non-GMO Alfalfa sold in 50-pound bags that captures the key characteristics of fresh pasture, while also offering a guaranteed level of nutrition. This website is reader-supported. Mature sheep can get by on good-quality grass hay, but lambs do better with a legume—harvested while still growing so that it has finer stems. If you do not do this, there is a risk for the goat to develop lameness and even an infection. Goats need up to 2 pounds of chaffhaye per 100 pounds of body weight when you feed it as an alternative to hay. Does the amount of pellets change when the are dry, but pregnant? Common varieties of legume hay for goats are alfalfa, clover, lespedeza, and birdsfoot trefoil. Hay is absolutely essential for dairy goats. Nutritionally alfalfa is the same regardless of whether it is pellets, cubes, or hay, but goats really need the long stem forage, such as hay, to keep their rumen working. Goats have specific nutritional needs, only some of which are met by the plants on your farm that they browse on. The majority of meat, fiber and hobby goats; however, do not require these high levels of protein. Producers must know the energy, protein and major mineral levels of these feeds to develop balanced, least-cost diets for livestock. Your Copper Guide. Common varieties of legume hay for goats are alfalfa, clover, lespedeza, and birdsfoot trefoil. A 70-pound bale of alfalfa will feed 50 adult goats. best fits the space that you have available, take a look at the models that we have selected for you and added in the buying guide that we have prepared on the topic. Don’t scrimp on goat feed — it will pay dividends in good health, milk production, and lower veterinary bills. Due to our area being deficient in calcium, I include alfalfa in my wethers' diets either in the form of alfalfa hay or alfalfa pellets, to provide them with the 2:1 calcium/phosphorus ratio they need. This is the basis of dehys reputation as a source of "by-pass" protein. Goats need a 2:1 Ca:Ph ratio. 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