# Is there any reason not to feed goats rabbit food?



## freedomfrom4 (Jul 27, 2009)

My rabbit pellets are mostly alfalfa, so is there any reason I can not use that as a supplement instead of buying alfalfa pelets? I'm so tired of buying all this variety of stuff for all the different animals because of the increased feed bill cost. If I can buy 1 bag more often instead of 2 bags at a time it helps me.
Right now my goats are looking good. They get to wander around and eat whatever they want of vegitation and hay, so they don't live strictly off thier feed bowl  I feed them once a day in the evening to pen them in the barn. I mix 2 cups medicated meat goat feed, 1/3 cup boss, and fill the rest of the cottage cheese container with rabbit food. They seem to be growing good. I just got to wondering about any reason to not feed them the rabbit pellets?
Oh they also torture the horse and steal her feed.  Poor horse. 3 goats against 1 horse is not fair.
Oh all the goats are young and still growing boer girls.


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## Kshobbit (May 14, 2002)

How big is the cottage cheese container? Is that one carton for each goat? Rabbit pellets cost more than alfalfa pellets here, so it may not be cost effective.


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## hillbillly (Jun 28, 2009)

i know you should not feed it to bucks,
causes urinary tract problems [mineral deposits / stones]
and can permanently damage reproduction.
i'd also check the various minerals to see if they match up exactly.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Let's see, can you eat pig food instead of human food and still be healthy?

If you are tired of getting the right food for each animal, sell a couple of the varieties of animals. Most likely the horses, unless they are draft animals. They consume the most and contribute the least.

That solves two problems. Less expense, less to take care of.:happy:


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Let's see, can you eat pig food instead of human food and still be healthy?


Actually you gave a really bad example... People are "long pork". 

But I agree with what you say about the rabbit feed. Give your livestock the best you can and they will do the best for you.


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## freedomfrom4 (Jul 27, 2009)

I would love to sell the horse but she is my husbands and he won't let me. Yes it is one cottage cheese container per goat per day. I know of rabbit people who feed thier rabbits alfalfa pellets as rabbit pellets are mostly alfalfa so that is what lead to wondering about feeding the goats rabbit pellets.
Right now I buy 
Cat food for the cat
Dog food for the dog
start and grow chick food for the younger chicks
2 grain scratch feed for the bigger chickens
oats 
Rabbit pellets for the rabbits
Meat goat feed for the goats
boss
high protien horse nuggets
and hay

Thay is not counting all the wormers, minerals and such :shrug:
It just adds up when I'm at the store.
I have had a bunny, dog, and cat for years. My son sold his bottle calf and bought chickens, so that is how we got chicks. My husbands friend gave him the horse in exchange for some work, and I choose to try my hand at goats instead of more bottle calves. That is how we came to have all our animals and the only thing I can say goes is the goats.

I asked my daughter if I could get rid of her goat called cutie that is always sick and she said "yes if you get a pig we can eat cause I like bacon".


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## deetu (Dec 19, 2004)

You going to name it Bacon?

Sounds like you haven't decided what animal fits your family best yet.


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## marvella (Oct 12, 2003)

i've done it without problems. when i asked for goat alfalfa pellets at the feed store they told me they are the same thing as rabbit pellets.

however, check into the price of both, check out mineral content, then buy whatever is cheapest for both. it's not good as a sole source of food, but mixed with hay and browse it should be fine.

if you have too many animals, decide what to keep based on how much you are getting back from them. rabbits for meat? keep. goats for milk? keep. etc.

unfortunatley, hubby's horse may come out on the short end of it. horses are expensive to keep.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

In my girls feed that I mix up I do use rabbit pellets instead of alfafa pellets. One we have rabbits also but the most important reason for me is they like the rabbit pellets & won't eat the alfafa pellets. I've tried them from all different feed store's & mill's & all I do is end up with alfafa pellets to put in my wild critter feeders. I've been doing it with rabbit pellets over a year & have had no problems.


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## freedomfrom4 (Jul 27, 2009)

deetu said:


> You going to name it Bacon?
> 
> Sounds like you haven't decided what animal fits your family best yet.


Our bottle calves were named veal and chuck (for chuck roast).
We like our animals and don't really want to part with anybody. I just would really like to simplify feed buying and storage. We buy 50 lbs bags of pretty much every thing. I think the boss is 40, but still that is also alot to buy, drag home, and store. So far they haven't died and love it. If anyone doesn't know of a reason to feed it I guess I'll keep on. They are looking healthier and it has to be an improvment over the sweet feed that the goats and horse was eating as a feed all food.
Thanks
(Iknow gramatical and speling errors abound, sory)

Ohh and alice just because it says goat feed doesn't mean it is best for goats, so just because it doesn't say goat feed doesn't automatically mean it is not best for goats. Have you ever looked at the contents and compared?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Actually, yet. And I tried reading the rabbit pellets label, too.

We feed free choice alfalfa, oats, BOSS, loose mineral, kelp, and beet pulp.

Sometimes a bit of corn chops or sweet feed if it's REALLY cold.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Now you have me thinking...
3 dogs...dog food for 2 and home made for 1
8 cats...dry food, one kind for 3 indoor and another kind for the outdoor
3 goats...hay, boss and alfalfa pellets (frosted mini wheats for treats)
10 chickens...layer pellets, boss, corn
2 horses...hay, boss, biotin supplement
1 dh...he is getting a bowl of cereal tonight lol!!!


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## DQ (Aug 4, 2006)

I feed alfalfa and corn to our bunny. I can pay 7$ for 50lbs of that or I can pay 9$ for 20lbs of rabbit feed. the bunny feed has alfalfa and "grain products" and very minimal mineral levels. whats the difference? 

i say read labels, know what your requirements are and see what you can do to fit your convenience and pocket book. there is no magic species feed. horse feed, cow feed, goat feed, rabbit feed, sheep feed, chicken feed.....they all can be and often are made up of the same products. that doesn't mean you can you use them all the same but you can't use everything labeled for goats the same either there are complete rations and there are grain supplements or dairy rations...... for some products they just change the bag at the feed mill and call it something else. the more expensive feeds have more quality ingredients, the less expensive tend to have the "grain/forage products" and molasses etc..... mineral levels change, protein and fiber levels change, but they change between different kinds of feed within the same animal category too because they are designed to be fed in different situations. ie as a full feed, as energy supplement only, as hay replacers or fed with or without additional minerals. imo few mineralized feeds contain enough of any one mineral to be a problem or push your limits one way or the other if you have a good loose mineral out. 

this reminds me of people who freak out when someone worms their dog with a horse wormer.... "OMG its a horse wormer"....its usually the same wormers just different labels and dosages. its often the same with feed stuffs.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

Rabbit pellets are likely to be more expensive than plain alfalfa pellets. 

As for feeds, goats (especially meat goats) don't need grain all the time. Free choice hay is adequate for most goats unless they're lactating or in very late pregnancy. I just offer a teeny amount of the 18% chicken feed (which is soybean meal, alfalfa meal, oats, and corn) to my meat does late in pregnancy and for a couple weeks after kidding. Bucks and wethers never get grain.

I have most people beat for the animal list, if not in number than variety. 

75 or so chickens and chicks - 18% custom grain mix
12 muscovies - 18% custom grain mix
12 meat rabbits - 17% pellets
2 dogs
6 cats
24 rats (or so) - Pig feed + cat food
40 mice (or so) - Pig feed + cat food
4 snakes
1 leopard tortoise
1 Iguana

All fed, watered, and properly housed... Though I do it as economically as possible!  Just means I don't get a new pair of shoes as often as I'd like. 

I might feed extra rabbit feed to goats or chickens. I wouldn't do it regularly, however - too expensive. I feed all my poultry the same mix which is very handy. I also supplement some of my meat goats with the 18% poultry mix, like to does a couple weeks before and after kidding.


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## Way Out West (Oct 16, 2009)

I love feeding all our animals! Though I have to admit we are never without alfalfa pellets and they feed the cow, horse, bun, goats and for some reason the dogs like to chew on them too. they're our all-purpose feed.

But I still have to buy:

goat food
dog food
cat food
laying pellets
scratch grains/corn
Senior horse feed for the old horses
parakeet feed
fish food
salt blocks
potatoes
pancake syrup

OH wait, I lapsed into the household feed bill! LOL

I just love buying feed for all our critters-I always did want to have a feed store...

and yes, alfalfa pellets are cheaper than rabbit food. find out what the "binder" is to know more about what you're feeding out... BTW that horse can have alfalfa pellets too...


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## jil101ca (Jul 2, 2007)

I buy:
rabbit food- meat rabbits
duck food - ducks and geese
laying mash - chickens
scratch - chickens, ducks & geese
cracked corn - pig, Boer buck (he also gets 16%)
16% dairy ration, all goats
cat food
2 different types of dog food

I have found that feeding animals food meant for others results in a stunted growth rate, although more economical to feed only one or 2 types of feed, each feed is specially formulated for that species to promote optimal growth and production.


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## MissyMoo (Jan 29, 2009)

feed-wise, I have to buy only.......

Alfalfa hay
Grain (corn, oats, barley w/molasses)
Milk Replacer formula for when I have bottle calves
and of course the dogs get dog food

these are the only things I need to buy at the feed store to feed my dogs, goats, pigs, 1 small chubby horse, older calves, chickens, and rabbits. (however I give scraps, treats, and veggies and fruits as I have them available).


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## Bricheze (Jun 21, 2008)

I would feed rabbits goat feed... seems to me that they don't need as special of food as goats and it would most likely be less expensive. Can't you just feed them all regular alfalfa?


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## Feathers-N-Fur (Dec 17, 2007)

I buy alfalfa for the goats. Then I buy a ton of corn, a ton of barley (cheaper than corn here) and soy meal, and sometimes oats for the goats. Then it gets mixed in different formulations depending on whether it is going to the pigs or goats or chickens. Pigs and goats also get minerals, goats free choice and pigs get it mixed in their feed.
Of course I also buy dog food for 3 dogs and cat food for 6 cats and macaw food for 3 macaws, parrot food for 4 parrots and parakeet food for 1 cockatiel (the oddball doesn't like sunflower or safflower seed). I feed 6 kinds of feed to my pet birds. 
The feed store guy loves us. He even offered to let us put our paychecks direct deposit into his bank account.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

Bricheze said:


> I would feed rabbits goat feed... seems to me that they don't need as special of food as goats and it would most likely be less expensive. Can't you just feed them all regular alfalfa?


regular alfalfa would be OK as a base - but if you fed JUST alfalfa pellets they would get mineral/vitamin deficiencies quick. Rabbit pellets are formulated to be a complete diet. Also, certain percentages of protein are better for different age rabbits - feeding just alfalfa pellets would probably result in very slow growing kits, and they'd need vitamin/mineral supplementation too.


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

I am almost afraid to count right now as the farm account is dwindling fast these days, as I no longer work for the auction I was working for and trying another way to earn farm $ I told my hubbie if I can't aford to keep my habit them they will go.

50 Chickens grain and scratch and scraps from the house. would be great to be able to free range but neighborhood dogs.
8 Goats goat feed minerals alfalfa pellets oats pulp Boss hay alfalfa depended on which goat gets which
2 outside cats ( just gave one of 3 away to sister yesterday) 
2 inside cats 
2 LARGE breed dogs, A Pyr and a Airedale Terrier
4 rabbits I sold off about 20 before surgery and butchered 6 meat rabbits 2 weeks ago.

The only problem I have found with the alfalfa pellets is that sometimes they vary in size from bag to bag my goats will eat the smaller ones but I have to saok the larger ones and I have one goat that will not eat them after they are soaked ( my goats are almost as picky as my human kids)

My kids are begging for a horse however I have tried to explain productive animals only they still want a horse oh well I am the mom so nope.


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## freedomfrom4 (Jul 27, 2009)

I did rehome 3 ginea pigs, 2 ducks, 1 goose, and killed all the fish  So it has shrunk some. You know sometimes you just get tired and broke. Anything I can do to make life a little easier I will. Downsizing children is not an option, although at times I wish it was. (not really but this morning they are being difficult)


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## Kshobbit (May 14, 2002)

I do understand the need to cut back and downsize. I sold my entire meat goat herd recently..that's 10 goats. I have 4 LaMancha milk goats left. It was a difficult decision for me too. But as you said the trips to the feed store and all the money spent on feed was really eating into my budget. I still have chickens, rabbits, ducks, cats and dogs to feed.
I have someone who is going to buy some of the chickens, will put about 6 to 7 ducks in the freezer, can and do, eat and sell the bunnies.
I have fed rabbit feed to the goats but therabbit pellets cost about $2 more per 50 lbs then alfalfa pellets here, so it is only when I run low on goat feed.


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## deineria (Aug 22, 2009)

I'd just do alfalfa pellets. . . much cheaper than good rabbit food.
We feed
6 horses
8 goats
llama
1 calf
6 chinchillas
2 ferrets
1 rabbit
4 dogs
1 cat

Yea, it is more than our carpayment a month to feed them.


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## Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians (May 6, 2002)

Go to the rabbit section of this forum, they gave me the information I needed to get my rabbits off the pellets. I purchase a 12% all grain for horses and alfalfa pellets, this is the base of my milkstand grain for the goats, feeding my hens this (soaked with milk) and using as the only grain for my rabbits, they are on nearly full fed greens, and most of this is picked for free, dandilions are their favorite, and I keep one raised bed with chard, confrey, muslein mix, salad greens, herbs (my rabbits love basil and it is nearly a weed here, a simple cattle panel hoop house over the bed keeps me in greens year round for them and me). I feed grass hay to the goats, rabbits and chickens also. The chickens also get to glean all the spilled feed from the rabbit cages suspended above them (they are wired in above so no hens roosting on the rabbits which is gross. I then purchase meat goat pellets for the bucks and young kids. Considering I use a 12% allgrain for horses, you could also then raise your horses on it and the same grass hay, and alfalfa pellets are a horse feed. When the grass hay under the goats feeder is cleaned it goes in the hen house for bedding for them to scratch through.

Alfalfa pellets and rabbit pellets are not interchangeable, one is ground grain by products the other is 100% dehydrated alfalfa.

Each class of animal needs minerals, I would not 'just' be feeding grain sacks with minerals in them thinking that it is nearly enough. I use my loose minerals (Techmaster complete from bluebonnet) for my goats, rabbits and chickens and even use it in my dog food (we feed raw). So goatsmilk feeds the chickens and dogs, the rabbits and goats feed the dogs, the dogs protect the farm and it's the only way we can have the goats, rabbits or chickens  The chicken eggs, goatmilk and goat sales pay for the whole farm. 

Ditch the BOSS, corn has more energy and more fat for less than half the price, don't let all the internet hype on soy or corn make you use alternatives that are now too expensive to use. Vicki


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## deineria (Aug 22, 2009)

Vicki, your whole operation makes so much sense - lol! I hope to end up with something even half so sensible!

On another note, feeding a 12% feedstore mixed horse feed would be okay instead of a pelleted goat feed like I am buying now? Not trying to hijack the thread - just curious if that would work as well or better than the Purnia feed we buy now.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

I buy a good grass hay, alfalfa pelletts and whole oats. The horses get a little bit of oats with some alfalfa pellets but mostly hay. The goats get hay until they are close to delivery then they get a little oats and increasing amounts of alfalfa pellets. It's good quality hay that keeps both groups healthy- I have no where near enough pasture to keep them. 
Hay and a good mineral mix is all most need unless in production or heavy work.


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## sbates (Oct 19, 2009)

I can't imagine that tiny amount of alfalfa pellets would have any harmful effect. I would be more worried about the wallet? Is that really cheaper.


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## freedomfrom4 (Jul 27, 2009)

sbates not really cheaper other then the fact I have to but 1 bug instead of 2 just more often. It is easier to spend 10 then 20 dollars at a time.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

I sure hope Vicki comes back to check this thread....

Vicki, you aren't feeding BOSS at all? How much corn are you feeding?


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Why am I thinking corn is not so great for goats...or am I confusing it with dogs! I feed boss and alfalfa pellets only. If I could feed corn instead of Boss I would. I am under the impression that Boss is better, and corn is carp. Am I wrong....again!  I only feed a handful each of the Boss a day. I feed it to my horses too...corn makes them nuts.


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## Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians (May 6, 2002)

No, I simply refuse to pay $17 for 50 pounds Alice. A brood farm near me is feeding their horses an all season blend that is 12%. It is whole oats, corn (maybe 12% of the ration) barley, it does have an alfalfa pellet in it and soy, it has a nice mineral mix in it for $8.40 per 50...I can't even buy whole oats for that. It's because they are going through 8 tons a week at the feed store, so as long as I can get this mix I will not be mixing mine. I am adding a supplement pellet (calf manna knock off) to this feed to bring up protien last 50 days of pregnancy and the first part of lactation.

When I mix feed I use 1 pound of flaked corn per 4 pounds of whole oats....also we have been getting rice pellets which are high in fat also and have more protein than corn.

With the small amount of BOSS most are feeding, is it really upping the fat that much? No. Vicki


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