Re: [Blackbelly] Alfalfa pellets/cubes
We have used the pellets here in MIssouri. They have been running anywarhere from $10 to 12.50 a bag. They are guarenteed to have 17% protein. The sheep love them and they seem to stay with them. And there is no mess to clean up. We also feed hay alflafa /orchard mix but are haveing to use some lesser hay since there is such a shortage due to drought and everything else going to Texas. We have 50 to 55 lb mixed bales for $5 . But there is always left overs that need to be cleaned up. Big bales are non existant now. Farmers are keeping everything for their cows., Nancy Quoting Elizabeth Radi lizr...@skybeam.com: Carol, Can't help you out with that one. Thankfully I have never had to feed alfalfa pellets, hopefully I am not jinxing myself now. But what I have heard is that the lesser quality alfalfa is used in making the pellets, and may have green coloring added. This is just what I have heard, and have never used them. When I lived in Arizona for 5 years, I tried chaffhaye. What I remember of chaffhaye it is a fermented alfalfa, and has the long stems for rumen health. I think it cost about what a bale did, and they all cleaned it up. It has to be used fairly quickly one the wrapper is broken or it gets a white flush on it. The goats and alpacas loved it. Used to buy it from a guy who was only 30 miles from us. I wonder what the cost of that is going to be with the hay shortage. I just bought 2 stackers of hay, one second cut orchard grass, and one 3rd cut alfalfa, the end of August. Hoping that that will last me. I paid $7.50 per bale, for 60# bales. I have 6 Nubian goats and 6 katahdins. I am keeping my fingers crossed. Liz Radi Idar Alpacas, Nubian goats and Katahdin Hair Sheep Nunn, Colorado 970-716-7218 idaralpaca.blogspot.com ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Alfalfa pellets/cubes
Nancy, do you happen to know if the pellets were for rabbits? Also, what quantity of pellets were you giving each sheep and was it their only feed at the time? Sheep need approximately 4% of their body weight in hay each day, so a 100 lb ewe will need about 4 lb of hay. I can't imagine giving a ewe 4 lb of pellets, but maybe that's not as unreasonable as I think it is. I like the idea of no waste; it makes the cost of the pellets more bearable. I'm also going to contact a feed mill about 60 miles away that does custom pelleting and see if they can make a pellet somewhere inbetween the size of a rabbit pellet and a horse cube. Liz, I tried chaffhay many years ago and it was okay but the sheep wasted even more of it than they do hay. Also, I don't know of a chaffhay distributor close to my town any longer. But I may have to start searching a little harder! Carol At 08:26 AM 10/23/2011, you wrote: We have used the pellets here in MIssouri. They have been running anywarhere from $10 to 12.50 a bag. They are guarenteed to have 17% protein. The sheep love them and they seem to stay with them. And there is no mess to clean up. We also feed hay alflafa /orchard mix but are haveing to use some lesser hay since there is such a shortage due to drought and everything else going to Texas. We have 50 to 55 lb mixed bales for $5 . But there is always left overs that need to be cleaned up. Big bales are non existant now. Farmers are keeping everything for their cows., Nancy Carol Elkins Critterhaven--Registered Barbados Blackbelly Hair Sheep (no shear, no dock, no fuss) Pueblo, Colorado http://www.critterhaven.biz ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Alfalfa pellets/cubes
Carol I found a product called forage feed' designed for older horses that cannot chew up their hay very well. http://www.lucernefarms.com/ I found it was a very clean (lack of dust) way to have hay for my rabbits when they live indoors-- The packaging is about the size of a bale of peat moss or shavings-- and is quite compacted, yet the feed fluffs out very nicely. I have fed the compressed cubes tothe sheep-- but yes, soaking them first is a must-- and you can get compressed timothy. Alfalfa pellets are just going to cause trouble if they are a main source of nutrition--- BUT--Beet pulp can be used to up the fiber content of a homemade mix of rations. Of course, whole oats, and even BOSS, in the shell, excellent working fiber when all is said and done. Terry W NE OHIO ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Hay for the winter
Ummm, good point, John. My grain mix costs about $0.25/lb, so it would cost less than $4.00/sheep/month to feed 1/2 lb per day. In contrast, my sheep eat (and waste) about 2 bales of alfalfa hay per month (alfalfa is just about the only hay available here and none is available now). So 2 bales at $7.00 each (if I could get it) would be $14/month. So I really need to supplement the hay with as much grain as they can safely eat, not only to reduce their hay consumption and conserve the supply I have but to save money overall. Thanks for helping me see that. I have to feed hay for 6 months and then my pasture is good for the other 6 months. I've been feeding the ewes about 1/4 lb of grain/day year-round (and more when they are gestating or nursing), so I will up that to 1/2 lb. I have never fed my rams grain or corn unless it gets below zero for several nights. I'm going to change that this year. We'll see if it reduces the hay consumption or not. Because I feed free choice, I'm just hoping they don't make pigs of themselves. I wish I could figure out how to prevent so much hay wastage. Carol At 05:04 PM 10/23/2011, you wrote: Carol: I have only used alfalfa pellets (the small ones, Tractor Supply ~$11/40#) as an added treat in a grain mix of corn and oats, or to the 12% All Stock pellets I now feed. When my pastures turn brown, I use Bahia or Bermuda grass hay (that is what is available locally in southwest Alabama) pretty much free choice and put out about 1/4 to 1/2 pound of grain per head per day. Decent local hay is $5-$6/bale and imported alfalfa hay is $14/bale. To carry 15 head over the winter I go through about 45 bales (~50#) of hay. Sheep still have access to the pasture and will nibble around but they really come running when I add a new bale of hay or put out the grain. John Carlton Double J Farms ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
