# Don't mix alfalfa pellets with grain? Ozark Jewels



## mrs.H (Mar 6, 2003)

Just saw on another post Ozark Jewels says not to mix alfalfa pellets with grain.

How come? I learn something new every day, I love this board and my other favorite board!!


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## deineria (Aug 22, 2009)

Ours is mixed in. . .Hmmm. The two big Alpine breeders 'kinda' in our area gave this mix to me because it is what they feed. .. and it has Alfalfa in the mix. I'm curious to know why, too!


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

If you are feeding alfalfa pellets as your hay(not a little as part of your grain mix), then you don't want to mix them for best results. When you mix grain with the alfalfa pellets, most does will push the alfalfa pellets aside in search of all the grain. Then the pellets get wet and slobbery and no one wants them. This is a huge reason so many people try alfalfa pellets and then say "my does won't eat alfalfa pellets". I started out mixing them with grain on the milkstand and I thought my does wouldn't eat them either.
A little mixed with your grain, of course they will eat. But if you want them to be consumed like hay(at least three pounds of alalfa pellets per day per doe), then its a much better bet to feed them separate from the grain.
I feed grain on the stand, then the does get their alfalfa pellets put out in a communal feeder and they eat on them all day. They are gone by the next morning. They also have access to good grass/clover hay of course.
Bottom line-if you are feeding alfalfa pellets in place of alfalfa hay, then its best not to mix with grain for best results.


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

So no, its not that it will cause problems to do so, but for best feeding results for feeding pellets instead of hay, don't mix.


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## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

I mix it, 2 parts pellets 1 part grain and feed grass hay I do not use the pellets as a source of hay. But the weird thing is my goats go for the pellets first then eat the grain. I must have a bunch of nutty goats, lol.


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Oh and yes, if you feed in a communal trough where there is competition, goats will eat *anything*.......including mixed pellets and grain.


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## mrs.H (Mar 6, 2003)

Thank you so much. This is very helpful. I will stop mixing it and put the pellets in the other feeder she has available. I am very interested to see the results. It's a never ending adventure with goats! I love adventure!


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

And of course there are always the black sheep of the goat world......maybe yous eat them better mixed.LOL!! But usually, its best unmixed.


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## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

Communal feeding, let's call it what it really is, Goat Feeding Frenzy!! LoL 
And let's face it the last place you put food down has the BEST food EVER!!


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## wintrrwolf (Sep 29, 2009)

Ive been wondering about adding some alfalfa pellets to the grain, during feeding frenzy I don't think they will care just as long as they get to it first. The few places I have found alfalfa hay is wanting about 6.00 a bale...so we not feeding that.


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## Wonderland (May 26, 2009)

ozark_jewels said:


> Oh and yes, if you feed in a communal trough where there is competition, goats will eat *anything*.......including mixed pellets and grain.


That explains why mine don't pick through it! :gaptooth:

Of course, even when I have them eating separately, they just HAVE to have what's in the bowl someone else is already eating out of. It must be better than the bowl I set in front of them! But probably not nearly as delicious as the keys I left hooked on the fence.


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## shiandpete.1 (Aug 13, 2008)

Only 6 a bale for alfalfa? That is cheap compared to here! I am paying 6 wholesale! I feed pellets like Hay if I don't have alfalfa. But here pellets are 9 dollars for a 40 lb bag! That is expensive!


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

I can't get alfalfa hay so I feed the pellets. I pay $16/50lb bag, They have free choice grass hay(bermuda) that I pay $5/square bale. I would gladly pay $6/bale.


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

If I can find good alfalfa its $6.00-$7.00 per bale. 
The pellets are $7.00 per 50 lb. bag.....with no waste. So at those prices the pellets are a better buy, easier to haul and store. Easier to feed too.
Only downside is all the paper bags as I go through a lot of pellets with my herd.
I do buy at least some really good hay every year though to start my little kids out on and in case of sick goats. Nothing tempts them more than sweet-smelling 4th cutting alfalfa!
So my herd gets free-choice grass hay and their alotted amount of alfalfa pellets.


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

The last locally purchased alfalfa hay I bought here in South Texas was $17.50 a square bale. It's grown in Arizona and trucked in. We can't grow alfalfa here at all due to heavy clay soil.

Alfalfa pellets are $11.50 per 50 pound bag.

Bermuda hay, if you are just getting a bale or two at the feed store, is $8 a square bale.


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## SerenityMama (Aug 26, 2009)

Wow it is amazing to see the price differances on hay. I would love 6$ a bale but am very thankful its not 15$ anymore!!! 

I am in AZ and we purchase our hay semi local for 8-10$ a bale (alfalfa). I think the bag of pellets is about 10-12$ a bag (50lbs). We do hay mostly but have the pellets just incase and we use it as a treat durring grooming.


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## Cashewnut (Aug 30, 2009)

Are pellets more standardized? I know bales vary in quality from different sellers.


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## Wags (Jun 2, 2002)

We are fortunate to have a variety of pelleted feeds available to us: 
Grass seed screenings 9% protein - $5.50 a 50lb bag 
Alfalfa/grass 14% or Alfalfa 15% - $8.50/50lb bag.
Clover/grass 16% - $6/50lb bag
Whole oats - $6.25/50lb bag 
Rolled Cob is $10/50lb bag.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

I always thought my girls didn't like alfafa pellets either but I mixed them in with there grain mix. I bet your right Emily & if seperate dish they may munch on them all day long.
I've tried alfafa pellets from just about every store around too!

I can hear dh already when I want to buy another bag since all the others went to the deer after I couldn't get the girls to eat them.

I do feed alfafa hay & alfafa/grass mix hay all year long too.


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## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

If I had to pay that much for hay I would have to get out of goats. 

I can get grass hay small bale for $4 to $5 but I prefer the 3x3x8 large 700 lb bales for $40 to $50 each. No mold, horse quality. I have seen some for more like certified grass hay small bales $8 to $9 each. 
I have also lucked out when horse people think the hay is beneath their horses standard and get it for $2 a bale or even free. 

Alfalfa pellets here are $11 for a 50 lb bag and 3 way is $9 a 50 lb bag.


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

Saw an ad in the Victoria Texas paper today for the 3x3x8 alfalfa hay bales. $100.


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## Oat Bucket Farm (Jul 28, 2006)

We feed grain on the stand or if younger goats, in seperated feeders in alloted amounts. Pelleted alfalfa, like our good flinthills grass hay, is offered free choice day and night.


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## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

hmm - my girls turned their noses up at the pellets as well - but it wa smixed. They eat alfalfa chaff better - although the chaff in someone else's bucket is always better than the chaff in their own. One goat in particular will, given the opportunity, leave her bucket once she has sifted the grain out and go round everyone else's seeing if they have any left and end up with someone else's chaff. I now tie them up to eat so that I know they all get their ration, but I am going over to feeding onthe milk stand as soon as I can get it organised.

I have a query about alfalfa pellets though if I may. I thought that goats needed the roughage of "stalks" ie hay or similar to keep their rumens healthy. Surely if I feed pellets then that changes the balance? Or not? How does that work?

How much hay does the alfalfa pellets/chaff replace? I am in the process of thinking out a complete change on the way I do things, I need to figure out the cost of getting the alfalfa here though. Hay is bought on the island, alfalfa has to be bought in. 

Thanks

hoggie


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## DQ (Aug 4, 2006)

hoggie said:


> I have a query about alfalfa pellets though if I may. I thought that goats needed the roughage of "stalks" ie hay or similar to keep their rumens healthy. Surely if I feed pellets then that changes the balance? Or not? How does that work?


I have found that to be "the great debate" in some circles. personally, after cutting open and seeing the contents of the rumen of a wether on browse only, I could see that the content looked just like mushy crushed alfalfa pellets. I stopped wasting expensive hay after that (still feed roundbales in some situations). some say that the don't develop a good rumen capacity with pellets. I have not found that to be the case. the pellets are just chopped up hay. maybe the don't cud them as much?? don't produce as much "buffering" saliva?? even when mine get no hay, just pellets, they still sit around cudding all day. 

also must note that my goats when browsing go for alot of small particle new growth (tiny leaves and shoots) not big hunks of "stemmy" stuff. they love tiny new blackberry leaves. when feeding alfalfa hay they eat the crumbly leaves anyway and leave the stems. with the alfalfa hay I have had access to it is practically pulverized the moment you touch it so I don't see much difference in that and pellets either. just my opinion.

http://jds.fass.org/cgi/content/abstract/87/9/2987

"Reduction in chop length did not affect rumen pH, total rumen volatile fatty acids, milk yield, and milk composition, but increased DM (_dry matter_) intake from 19.4 to 20.1 kg/d at the high level of concentrate and from 16.9 to 17.7 kg/d at the low level of concentrate and increased rumen propionate."

from elsewhere about rumen function....."propionate which is then available to the host for gluconeogenesis"

unless I am misundertading something it sounds like shortened chop length increase feed intake (definitly my experience) and the ability to convert it to energy.


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

Pellets are made of the whole harvested plant, stems, leaves, etc. With feeding alfalfa hay, my does pick through and leave the stems. Pellets are cheaper, and they don't leave half of it in the feeder to be thrown out.


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## deetu (Dec 19, 2004)

I asked this in another post but no one answered so please...
the alfalfa pellets I was getting came from a different mill and are larger and harder. My one doe is refusing to eat her grain because of this. My does are 4 months pregnant. If I stop giving them the alfalfa now, will it cause problems? I know that adding alfalfa when they are pregnant can cause calcium drop at birthing... will stopping cause the same?


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

"I know that adding alfalfa when they are pregnant can cause calcium drop at birthing"

Old wive's tale. Not true.

They need alfalfa, especially during this last month of their pregnancy. Try to find another source.

Alice


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## Melbertsch (Mar 2, 2009)

I too changed sources and found the pellets larger and harder. My does ate them but I'm more comforatble with the smaller "rabbit food size" pellets. I get them at our local FRM Feed supplier. Alfafa hay bales here are almost $20.00 a bale, so mine get grass hay and alfafa pellets along with browse.


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## deetu (Dec 19, 2004)

I cut the mixture down to 1 alfalfa pellets, 1 goat pellets, 1 sweetfeed and that seems to be more acceptable to them.
Thanks


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## IndianaWoodsman (Mar 17, 2009)

Here in IN we can raise really good alfalfa and the pellets are still $14/50lbs. Square bales are $4 - $9 depending on whether it's "horse hay" or "cattle hay". We have been selling grass hay for $2.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

I toss the grain to one side of the bucket, and the alfalfa pellets to the other. Or feed the grain and then the alfalfa pellets.


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