The alfalfa pellets are fine. Many people feed it instead of alfalfa hay.
Alfalfa pellets?
If I cannot find affordable alfalfa hay of good quality, how do pellets compare? I am guessing that they are not as good (as is the case with most "processed foods"). But, are they good, still? TSC has alfalfa pellets, 40 lbs, for $15. Stockdales has a mix of alfalfa/Timothy pellets at $16 for 50 lbs. any advice or thoughts regarding these?
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Standlee alfalfa pellets are very bright and rich. I don't know about Stockdales though. :wink: Standlee alfalfa pellets are sold at TSC. :wink:
we feed alfalfa pellets in their grain mix...
I can't speak for all manufacturers, but the alfalfa pellets I buy around here are 100% alfalfa - nothing else. Alfalfa pellets can be substituted for hay on a pound for pound basis up to 50% of the hay ration. I've used 2 lbs of alfalfa pellets in place of 2 lbs of hay and had very good results.If I cannot find affordable alfalfa hay of good quality, how do pellets compare? I am guessing that they are not as good (as is the case with most "processed foods").
Are the alfalfa pellets given as a total replacement? Or is ok to give 50% alfalfa hay and 50% alfalfa pellets?
I would not feed alfalfa pellets as a complete ration because goats are ruminants and they need long stemmed forage of some kind - either hay, brush, forbs, or pasture - to keep their rumens working properly. It is ok to substitute alfalfa pellets for up to 50% of their hay ration. Most standard sized goats eat a ton of something each year. That comes out to 5.47 lbs of forage per day. If you feed 2 1/2 pounds of hay and 2 1/2 lbs of alfalfa pellets per day you should be ok. Our winters can be very harsh, so I usually increase them by about 1 lb per day when it gets cold, watch them, and adjust as needed.
Ok thanks, been researching on this topic as well. I give 100% alfalfa hay, and wondering if it's better for them to also get pellets. If it helps with their nutrition and with feed costs I thought it was worth looking into.I would not feed alfalfa pellets as a complete ration because goats are ruminants and they need long stemmed forage of some kind - either hay, brush, forbs, or pasture - to keep their rumens working properly. It is ok to substitute alfalfa pellets for up to 50% of their hay ration. Most standard sized goats eat a ton of something each year. That comes out to 5.47 lbs of forage per day. If you feed 2 1/2 pounds of hay and 2 1/2 lbs of alfalfa pellets per day you should be ok. Our winters can be very harsh, so I usually increase them by about 1 lb per day when it gets cold, watch them, and adjust as needed.
The nice thing about the pellets is that nothing goes to waste usually. Whether pellets are going to help with feed costs is a whole other thing! You would have to figure how much each one costs per pound, then factor in hay waste.
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