I've been using rolled barley in my milk stand mix, but I've found a source for whole barley. It's much cheaper and I'd guess is more nutritional. It's field run, so it still has some of the hulls on it. Is is okay to feed in this condition?
The problem with the whole stuff is that they don't get the full nutrition out of it because of the phytic acid. If you sprout it, they will get the full nutrition from the whole grain. I sprout my whole oats and wheat before giving it to the goats.
I feed them fodder from a hydroponic system as the major part of their diet. The grain I am feeding is only on the milk stand, and it's a small part of their diet. My heaviest producer only gets about 3 pounds of grain per day. The others get less than 2 pounds.
I know other people just feed the whole grains but not sure about the hulls. I can't find barley around me so never buy it. Maybe try and get the dirt and debris off a little better.
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