# How much Alfalfa pellets?



## Rechellef (Oct 5, 2010)

I have recently added alfalfa pellets to my girls' diets. I give them about a cup a piece per day with their feed and am wondering if that was enough. My does weigh about 80-100 lbs. (the queen being the biggest). I am trying to increase their milk production as I am milking them once a day and will be milking twice a day in about 4-5 weeks when the kids are completely weaned and want to make sure they are getting enough. I do supply free choice hay free during the day and they have grazing too.


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## LoneStrChic23 (Jul 30, 2010)

I give my girls free choice alfalfa pellets.....they chowed down on them like crazy the first two days, then after the new wore off, they just nibbled on them throughout the day.

This is my girls only source of alfalfa since I can't find good alfalfa hay.

My standard girl, who I'm miking twice a day and who is nursing twins eats about 3 1/2lbs of alfalfa pellets a day, 3-4lbs milk stand grain and free choice coastal hay & Right Now Onyx minerals. 


My mini girl who I'm milking twice a day (and who Sabrina's twins are stealing milk from on occasion)
is milking 5lbs per day, eats about 1 1/2lbs of milk stand grain, & eats about 2lbs of alfalfa pellets.


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

Crystal is spot on!


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## Natural Beauty Farm (Feb 17, 2003)

Go to TSC and get Standlee Alfalfa pellets. They are 9.99 for 40lbs. Feed free choice. Best quality and the price can't be beat in our area.
If you are near Bristol PM me and I can get you an even better deal since I buy bulk and have pallets shipped in.


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## LoneStrChic23 (Jul 30, 2010)

I also feed Standlee Alfalfa Pellets and love them! But I pay $7.99 per bag


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## RedSonja (May 16, 2010)

Also give our does free choice alfalfa pellets here, as well as free choice alfalfa/orchard grass hay. And agree that Standlee brand is the best I've found.

-Sonja


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

Free choice...and Crystal explained it very well. They'll act like the things are the ONLY FOOD IN THE WORLD for two or three days...and then they'll settle down and nibble like they do hay.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

Natural Beauty Farm said:


> Go to TSC and get Standlee Alfalfa pellets. They are 9.99 for 40lbs. Feed free choice. Best quality and the price can't be beat in our area.
> If you are near Bristol PM me and I can get you an even better deal since I buy bulk and have pallets shipped in.


The standlee are the best!

Ours are also $9.99 here. So you mean if I buy them buy a whole pallet load they will be cheaper?
I go through about a bag a week maybe a little more & no one has even kidded yet.


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## LoneStrChic23 (Jul 30, 2010)

How many bags are on a pallet?? I go through a lot of pellets so I wonder if buying by the palet would work out for me too?


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

LoneStrChic23 said:


> How many bags are on a pallet?? I go through a lot of pellets so I wonder if buying by the palet would work out for me too?


Me too! I'm going to check at both my TSC that I shop at this next week hopefully!


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## rabbitpatch (Jan 14, 2008)

TSC will give you a discount on anything if you buy more than their minimum. I'm not sure how many bags are on a pallet, but I think you have to buy a minimum of 20 bags of something in order to get the discount. That goes for anything - goat feed, horse feed, dog food, etc.


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## The Tin Mom (Dec 30, 2008)

rabbitpatch said:


> TSC will give you a discount on anything if you buy more than their minimum. I'm not sure how many bags are on a pallet, but I think you have to buy a minimum of 20 bags of something in order to get the discount. That goes for anything - goat feed, horse feed, dog food, etc.


And, from what I understand, you can mix & match. For example 15 alfalfa pellets & 5 bags of feed qualify for the discount.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

General rule is 3+ lbs per doe, although here when it's summer we have a ton of clover and mine won't even eat that much. If you can find a feed store that bags their own pellets, or pellets their own alfalfa meal their price will be a lot better. I get 50 lbs for $7.65, whereas they used to be $11 or so a bag.


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## Natural Beauty Farm (Feb 17, 2003)

I also feed a ton and half per week (75 bags) and get it direct shipped by the tractor trailer load to me.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

I buy alfalfa pellets by the ton. Forty, fifty pound bags to the pallet. The cost by the ton comes out to about $9.00 per bag. Actually they are called throughbred pellets. They have a mix of corn, barley, and minerals. I think it is the best feed you can get. My horses, mules, and goats all eat the same thing. 

I also feed good leafy alfalfa hay. I buy direst from the farm, two squeezes at a time, 128 bales, about six tons. The last load was $8.00 per bale. I get a better price because I haul it myself. They load it on my trailer, and I unload it when I get home. If I have it delivered it would be $10.00 per bale. The same hay is $14.50 per bale at most feed stores.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I can just see the mice/rats around here enjoying all those bags of alfalfa pellets before my goats get to them. (We have a few 50 lbs metal barrels with lids to store bagged feed in so as to keep them safe and clean.)


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

motdaugrnds said:


> I can just see the mice/rats around here enjoying all those bags of alfalfa pellets before my goats get to them. (We have a few 50 lbs metal barrels with lids to store bagged feed in so as to keep them safe and clean.)



I was thinking mice really wouldn't get into the alfafa pellets with so much other around? Guess I need a couple barn cats!
We do also keep our feed in metal 50 gallon drums with lids but I couldn't store a ton of alfafa pellets in them.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

I put the pellets in fifty gallon plastic barrels as soon as I get it home. One barrel will hold about two hundred and fifty pounds or five bags. A ton is eight barrels. The only time I leave anything in the original bags is when it is stored in a steel shipping container. When you close the doors nothing can get in. I have two of the containers, one for storage, and one for horse feed and tack. I can stack a ton of feed against the back wall and it isn't even in the way.


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