# who feeds beet pulp to their goats?



## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

can you tell me how much you feed and what percentage of their diet the beets are? Do you wet them first? Free feed?

Trying to get some weight on a 6yr old pregnant very underweight saanen doe before she kids in January. (she shares a pen with her 2yr bred saanen-toggenburg daughter who is looking to be at a perfect weight for the first time)

thanks!
Cathy


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Cathy, I mix shredded beet pulp into the feed for just my freshened goats. I would guess 2% of the total mixture, so two pounds per hundred pounds of mix. It's an excellent energy food for goats especially in the winter. It's fed dry...never any complaints from my gals....TJ


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## ChickenMom (Sep 27, 2005)

I fed equal parts corn, oats, barley, and beet pulp. So I guess mine is 25%.


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## Jcran (Jan 4, 2006)

I have it mainly for our horse, but have treated the goats occasionally; its not cheap like it used to be. I read somewhere not to exceed 15% of total ration and I'm not sure why. I THINK it talked about some component interfering with calcium uptake at higher percentages....just an inkling of a rememberance, not for sure.


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## MaineFarmMom (Dec 29, 2002)

I gave my goats beet pulp soaked in hot water (warm by the time they got it) in cold weather and when underweight. It made the last couple of winters much easier on them. I used it for horses too.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

My feed is always evolving but right now I mix:

5 parts alfalfa pellets
5 parts goat meal
3 parts oats
2 parts dry beet pulp
1 part cracked corn
1 part BOSS

On the side they get free choice hay, loose minerals, and bicarb. They mostly browse and don't eat much in the way of feed, other than the milkers on the stand. They are all healthy and dropping healthy kids so I would assume I'm doing something right.

I put apple cider vinegar in their water. They have a 50 gallon water tank that I add about a pint of vinegar to when I change out the water.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

I throw a big handful (dry) on my milker's ration, been doing this lately as she was a little on the thin side. Helped fill her out a little.


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## HazyDay (Feb 20, 2007)

I feed my heavy milkers dry beetpulp about 25% (3 scoops of dairy ration and 1 of beet.) It made my does coats so much better and really put the pounds on them. But I am trying to give it up  It is just costing to much!


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

I don't think I've ever seen it for sale here in South Texas.


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## white eagle (Feb 8, 2007)

We feed our goats beet pulp only in the winter time. When do feed it to them it is added in their feed we have already mixed up. Our beet pulp is dry not wet.


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## BlueHeronFarm (Feb 9, 2007)

We used to - and will probably do so again right after kidding to get some extra calories without extra grain. We stopped because we could only find it with molasses, and at the time we had feed that already had molasses - so we though it was too much. But now our feed store carries plain, too.


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## meggie (Apr 19, 2004)

I always fed soaked ,sloppy beet pulp in the summer as it seems to help keep the water in my girls. This fall I have kept it up feeding soaked beet pulp in the morning after milking. We have an old girl with only 3 teeth and she stays round and happy on soaked beet pulp and goat pellets. All my girls have free-choice alfalfa pellets as well. I love beet pulp for conditioning coats it makes the goats shine. Plus I just love the way they dive in and make sluuuuurpy sounds.  

meg


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## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

what is the concern about too much molasses? (molasses in goat feed and other feed)
It's the first time I've heard about it.

My goats are very ambivalent about eating the beet pulp dry - would only try it after the sheep started snarfing up the rejected goat beets. My dog (aka pig/vacuum) also likes the beets more than the goats. Weird?


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## Jillis (Sep 11, 2005)

If you feed beet pulp, be sure to feed enough alfalfa pellets to bring up the calcium to phosphorus ratio. Beet pulp is very high in phopshorus. I feed it in the grain mix I make for the milkstand when my milkers are milking at peak and start to get thin.


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