Is Horse Alfalfa Ok For Goats?

Although alfalfa is safe (and even recommended) to feed goats, you need to exercise caution. Please don’t feed your goats a lot of alfalfa all at once, or they may bloat.

Can goats eat horse alfalfa cubes?

Cubes are made for horses and cattle, and because the hay has not been completely pulverized, it does require more chewing than pellets do. However, the cubes are too big and hard for goats and sheep to eat.

Can goats eat horse alfalfa pellets?

Can I Feed My Goats Alfalfa or Grass Hay Pellets? These are both great options for supplementing a goat’s diet, but they cannot totally take the place of baled hay, pasture and browse. Goats need some long-stemmed hay, every day, to keep their rumen functioning at its best.

Is alfalfa poisonous to goats?

Alfalfa and clover are a great source of calcium and protein for lactating female cattle, sheep, and goats. However, alfalfa and clover both carry a high amount of estrogen and calcium that can be toxic to male ruminants and non lactating female ruminants.

Can goats eat horse hay?

Each goat needs about two to four pounds of hay per day (3-4% of body weight in pounds), which can be fed free choice or twice a day. If good range isn’t available, dry grass forage of a horse quality is acceptable.

Can goats bloat on alfalfa?

All goats with a mature functional rumen are at risk. Conditions that may lead to frothy bloat include consumpiton of lush legumes such as clover or alfalfa, either in green feeds or as new hay; recent turnout to legume pastures, and wet grass pastures. Sudden access to grain can also lead to frothy bloat.

What should you not feed goats?

But, just like other animals, goats shouldn’t consume things like garlic, onion, chocolate or any source of caffeine, to name a few. Although most goats wouldn’t eat leftover meat scraps, they shouldn’t be offered them either. Citrus fruits should also be avoided, as they can really upset the rumen.

What cut of alfalfa is best for goats?

Second cutting is generally the preferred hay for goats. It has less weeds, is finer-stemmed, fertilized, and grown during the optimal growing season. In areas with longer growing seasons, a third cutting or even higher may be available.

What is best hay for goats?

Any type of grass hay, including Timothy, Bermuda, and Teff, is ideal for the average adult goat, provided it’s of good quality and free from any mold and debris. Young kids that have weaned do better on a mixture of grass and legume hay, such as alfalfa or clover.

Will alfalfa give goats diarrhea?

We started using alfalfa pellets years ago when we had goats that could finish all their grain faster than we could milk them. If goats get too much grain, they’ll get diarrhea and a host of other health problems.

Can you feed goats fresh alfalfa?

Goats love eating alfalfa, and they get quite a bit of benefit from it, too. Again, moderation is key. Goats will eat fresh alfalfa hay as well as alfalfa seeds. They’ll eat these seeds raw and sprouted.

Does alfalfa cause urinary calculi in goats?

Most goat producers feed their goats dry hay. Any type of hay can be fed, however, billies have an increased chance of developing urinary calculi when fed alfalfa hay because of the high levels of calcium.

What is poisonous to goats?

Some examples of poisonous plants include azaleas, China berries, sumac, dog fennel, bracken fern, curly dock, eastern baccharis, honeysuckle, nightshade, pokeweed, red root pigweed, black cherry, Virginia creeper, and crotalaria.

Will alfalfa hay hurt goats?

Problems with Hay
However, a diet of nothing but alfalfa diet is “too much of a good thing.” By itself, alfalfa is too high in calcium and protein for healthy goats and should be limited to sick, pregnant, or debilitated animals.

What happens if a goat eats horse feed?

Feeding horse feed to goats too often can lead to Toxic Copper Poisoning, a condition common among goats and sheep. Some of the common symptoms of Toxic Copper Poisoning in goats are: Dehydration. Anorexia.

Is horse hay the same as goat hay?

Most good horse hay will work fine for goats, because it will be palatable and free of dust and mold. If goats are fed coarse hay, they may eat the leaves but not the stems.

How much alfalfa should I feed my goat a day?

about two to four pounds
It can be clover, alfalfa or legume and you need to give about two to four pounds to each animal every day. This excludes what your goats forage for on the pasture. Feed hay to them twice a day. If you don’t have access to a range or pasture, feed goats dry grass hay daily.

What does baking soda do for goats?

Baking soda can be a useful addition to your goat’s diet. It can aid in digestion issues and help to prevent bloat, a sometimes deadly condition caused by overeating or eating the wrong food.

Why is my goats belly so bloated?

Bloat is the symptom that occurs when a ruminant animal cannot burp. The rumen produces a lot of gas from the fermentation of food, and goats (as well as all other ruminants) normally get rid of this gas by belching. If something blocks the escape of gas from the rumen, the rumen will begin to expand.

Can goats live on just hay?

Grain – (0-10% of their diet) – Goats don’t need grain to survive, in fact, they can live happily on pasture or hay, or a combination of both.

What do you feed a goat daily?

Goats need a carefully balanced diet of high-quality hay, grass, ‘browsings’, and additional supplements. You should give them feed that’s suitable for their age and breed, including: Long, fibrous food, which they need for their rumen to work efficiently at digesting.