Alfalfa hay is also popular for feeding goats and has more protein, vitamins, and minerals than grass hays, typically. It provides more energy, vitamins, and minerals than dried hay. By itself, alfalfa is too high in calcium and protein for healthy goats and should be limited to sick, pregnant, or debilitated animals. For example: give a pet goat primarily grass hay, like timothy, and supplement with alfalfa as more of a snack. Goats need up to 2 pounds of chaffhaye per 100 pounds of body weight when you feed it as an alternative to hay. I do feed my goats alfalfa pellets, it is in their feed mix. Goats are browsers, like deer, which means they prefer trees, bushes, and woody weeds; rather than standing still and eating grass down to the roots, they like to stay on the move, eating a bit of this and a bit of that. Our Alfalfa bales are clean and free from weeds, mold, dust, insects, rodents, rocks, baling wire, or other contaminants. Alfalfa is a very rich fodder made of the dehydrated legume alfalfa. 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. They need the roughage to keep their rumens functioning properly. Goats need a 2:1 Ca:Ph ratio. 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. Be prepared for hay waste -- goats like to eat some parts of the hay and let the rest drop out of their mouths. Advantages of alfalfa are that it is an excellent source of protein and is highly palatable to livestock Good quality alfalfa hay delivers 15-20% crude protein and 55-60% TDN. Grass hay is a good source of food because it includes a moderate amount of proteins. In 15 years of feeding burmuda grass hay and alfalfa pellets alone to my bucks and wethers, I never had a case of stones. Many of the alternative feeds vary widely in nutrient content, making an analysis or some assessment of the feed value necessary. 812 alfalfa hay for goats products below Alfalfa Hay Large Capacity Alfalfa Hay Pellet Mill Rice Husk Ash Pellet Production. Hay and Alfalfa Feeder for Goats with Minimal Waste - G Farm Episode 5 - Duration: 3:56. Especially if they are not foragers. The best pastures available are those that contain mixes of grass and clover. Grass hay provides a moderate amount of protein and energy for the goat diet. Orchard – This style of hay is lower in protein than alfalfa hay but boasts a higher percentage of fiber. Producers must know the energy, protein and major mineral levels of these feeds to develop balanced, least-cost diets for livestock. And one more question, I've read that several people give alfalfa 24/7/365 whether milking, dry, pregnant, etc. Actually alfalfa is not a grass; it is a legume, like clover. Often, one or two goats drive others away from a feeding area, so you may want to make hay available in at least two locations in each goat area. As a result, it can cause bladder and kidney stones when fed regularly to animals that are healthy. Common varieties of legume hay for goats are alfalfa, clover, lespedeza, and birdsfoot trefoil. 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. I can't afford to waste hay. If you are a goat owner, you have probably heard about Chaffhaye. Cheryl K. Smith has raised a small herd of dairy goats under the herd name Mystic Acres since 1998. Grain options include the following: Whole grain: This is the whole, unprocessed grain seed head. 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. Legume hay typically has the highest digestible energy, as the leaves do not change as the plant grows. I wish it wasn't so darn expensive, and grass hay is just as high. I read that goats need the roughage from hay to keep their rumen functioning properly. If near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is used, ensure that the laboratory has calibrated its equipment for your specific feed; otherwise, the analysis will not provid… Alfalfa is enriched with high protein, high fat legume and contain a … 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. The leaf-to-stem ratio is the most important criteria. Still, if your goat has dental issues or if it is underweight, it is recommended that you feed it regularly, but only for a short period. An alfalfa and grain feeding regimen helps keep the ratio correct. They only eat the fine stem and leaf. They refuse grass hay because they're spoiled to alfalfa. Our goats always have access to grass hay. Saves us $$$$. For that reason, Alfalfa hay is a great choice because of it’s higher protein amounts. How about Nigerian Dwarf goats? Chaffhaye is a premium Non-GMO Alfalfa sold in 50-pound bags that capture the key characteristics of alfalfa, while also offering a guaranteed level of nutrition. So, it might be a good idea to go online and read more on this topic. To put it in perspective, one 50-pound bag of chaffhaye is the equivalent of an 85 or a 100-pound bale of hay. It is ideal for ensuring maximum health and well-being of all classes of horse, deer, … 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. Pellets are easy to feed and easy to measure the correct amount to be fed. All goats need certain kinds of feed, but they have differing nutritional requirements depending on their gender and what stage of life they’re in. While the rabies vaccine can be somewhat hard on the animals, the other ones are not. Does the amount of pellets change when the are dry, but pregnant? I only buy horse quality hay. Any type of hay can be fed, however, billies have an increased chance of developing urinary calculi when fed alfalfa hay because of the high levels of calcium. Unless you have a lot of property with a variety of browse, feed will be your biggest expense in raising goats. Immature grass hay or leafy alfalfa is usually the best feed for sheep. This product is a combination of various types of forages and it can be used as a substitute for hay. Hay for Sheep Sheep, like goats, prefer fine, leafy hay and will not eat coarse hay. Another thing that you should not ignore has to do with vaccines. Alfalfa is among the mostly cultivated greens for goats and considered as the best for goats. 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. Every pygmy goat needs 0.5-1kg of hay a day. 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. Pelleted grain mixes or grain, in general, can also be supplied to goats as it can provide the necessary vitamins and minerals. In fact, some vets argue that alfalfa is the only kind of hay that can provide lactating does with the necessary amount of proteins. Goats need hay. 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. The treated hay ferments in the bag, adding good bacteria that’s easy for goats to digest. The stems become courser and more fibrous, so the values are highest when the plant is young. How about goats who are milking? Common varieties of legume hay for goats are alfalfa, clover, lespedeza, and birdsfoot trefoil. This way you can eliminate water waste. Our Alfalfa bales are clean and free from weeds, mold, dust, insects, rodents, rocks, baling wire, or other contaminants. If you find the entire process difficult, you can ask your local vet to do it for you. Its protein content is about double that of grass hay. 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. For milking does an unqualified YES- alflafa is the best. Grass hay provides a moderate amount of protein and energy for the goat diet. We inspect and grade every cutting of hay … Alfalfa is among the mostly cultivated greens for goats and considered as the best for goats. An alfalfa and grass mix is a good type of hay for goats, especially ones lactating. Mine love fruit and veggies as well as leaves, weeds and hay. As current users note, these systems are particularly useful during winter. This is the basis of dehys reputation as a source of "by-pass" protein. 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. What hay is best 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. freedomstarfarm, Apr 9, … How about Nigerian Dwarf goats? According to specialists, these animals need at least eight hours of grazing each day. 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. Pelleted grain: A product made from grain or grain byproducts milled into small pieces and then made into pellets by adding a binding agent. 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. The owner of this website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon properties including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. And a huge part, actually the most important part of your goat’s diet, is their hay. We feed Barlett Goat feed(17% protein), browse, a little pasture, a couple kinds of hay. Each goat needs 2 to 4 pounds of hay each day, although some of this need can be met by available pasture or other forage. Unfortunately, not all regions have access to … This is true because a byproduct of … Still, every four to six weeks you have to trim their hooves. 3:56. Its protein content is about double that of grass hay. However they waste A LOT! Sheep, like goats, prefer fine, leafy hay and will not eat coarse hay. It can be a good choice for feeding milking goats as it has more protein, energy and calcium. Texturized grain: Similar to rolled grain, texturized feed mixes usually have other ingredients added to improve nutrition. Alfalfa is high in calcium while grain and grass hay are high in phosphorus. Alfalfa is used extensively in dairy operations where alfalfa helps deliver high protein and calcium needed for … However, this does not mean that goats cannot eat alfalfa in general. If I feed all they want, they will pick out the leaves and leave the stems and powdery stuff behind. Alfalfa hay is also popular for feeding goats and has more protein, vitamins, and minerals than grass hays, typically. It can be a good choice for feeding milkers as it has more calcium as well Today, we go through the topic of Alfalfa Cultivation for Dairy, Goat, Sheep, Livestock and its health benefits and side effects. I usually feed prairie hay to my goats and the pellets to make up for not feeding the alfalfa hay. Some are formulated specifically for goats. A doe (a female goat) in milk needs a much richer diet than a wether (a castrated male goat). This is an aspect that you should not neglect because while goats need and like cooper, sheep cannot tolerate it. Early to mid-winter is a time when does should be in early pregnancy. 3:56. during lactation goats fed high quality alfalfa hay plus concentrates will consume 2.8 to 4.2 Kg DM/ 100 kg body weight. The leaf-to-stem ratio is the most important criteria. Because alfalfa is easy to waste, the specialists argue that it is best that you invest in pellets. Search Products. You can also feed it to your animal if you live in an area where you cannot let it free to browse for food by itself. Taking care of goats also means knowing the most common diseases and health issues that they might develop. Hay is absolutely essential for dairy goats. Hay is particularly important if milk production is the main purpose of your goats. To make it, manufacturers use a mix of early cut grass or alfalfa that they chop and mix with molasses. Besides, you can find special hoof trimmers in most farm supply stores. Alfalfa protein is around 16%, which is similar to that of most manufactured grain blends. Alfalfa, which is scientifically called as Medicago Sativa is a plant which belongs to the legume species and is the one which grows perennially. Sick or debilitated animals my mini-goats go nuts for it and calcium as came. 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