Molasses???

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I am going to reformulate my goat ration. I am curious as to whether the more informed goat folks think that molasses is crucial in the feed mix? Also, I have developed a problem with weevils in my grain and the feed mill will not mix with DE anymore, so how can I control these buggers in my grain? I spray around the storage area with the Bronco fly spray, but it doesn't seem to do the job quite well enough. Suggestions? Thanks!!!!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), September 08, 2001

Answers

I've been told that too much molasses in the ration can cause an imbalance in the rumen, too acidic, I believe. There was a discussion about this over on CS a while back. My goat mentor here in my area told me the same thing, stating this was one reason they need baking soda, to neutralize the effect of too much molasses. I know they love the stuff. As for DE, could you mix it in with the feed yourself (carefully, of course)? The feed I get is often buggy and I've thought about this as an alternative. I pour the feed up into galvanized cans, anyway, so why not add the DE as you pour it up? Of course, this wouldn't work if you are storing it in the sacks for a period of time.

-- melina b. (goatgalmjb1@hotmail.com), September 09, 2001.

Molassas isn't crucial but energy is. Especially Nubians who have high multiple births. This is also a horrible time of the year to be tweaking to many things, since it is easy to keep, unbred, unmilking and yearling stock looking good. The real test of your feeding program is always when your does have kidded and are milking that thrid month, also in your kid growth. Most goat folks should spend a whole lot more time worrying about their hay rather than their grain. If you are feeding a poor quality hay, say 8% than you grain has to be up in the 20% to have a total mixed ration of about 16% which is what your big stock needs. If you can be happy having your stock smaller, thinner and not milking as well as you know they can, than that is fine.

Have you thought about just switching to a good horse feed. Purina has just came out with a new line of horse feeds that contain no animal by products. They have a 14% that is just a little over 5$ here. To that you could add alfalfa pellets and black oil sunflowerseeds, which would up the protein, fat and roughage, and with that you could feed a grass hay. Also adding the alfalfa pellets, and black oil sunflowerseeds you will also have cut the total amount of molassas, since horse feeds usually have to much mollassas in them. Turning that around you could feed alfalfa hay, or the new World Feeder Bermuda we found 17.3% protein, and then you could feed a basic corn, oats, alfalfa pellets, BOSS. I will be halving this mix with chopped corn which we are picking up this winter for a song. Friends of mine up in north Texas feed a really nice hay, chopped corn and loose minerals. Their Nubians are old bloodline, and are bigger than mine!

We always keep our mollassas at less than 6%, since it does cause rumen acidosis, makes you need to feed more bicarbonate, depletes the copper in the doe, and though has some value as iron, very little. It does make nasty or dusty grains palatable, and keeps the girls blood sugar level up. What are you thinking of changing to? And of course make all changes slowly over 3 or 4 weeks. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), September 10, 2001.


I was thinking of simply knocking down the soy ppercentage and pulling the molasses back from 10/100 to about 5/100. The feed mill has been having trouble with getting things really clumpy and the girls were just sorting out all the soy on this last batch so I was thinking that since that was the highest amount of protein and they weren't interested in it that I might just go with a slightly lower protein level and use more BOSS and calf kick to bring the levels to about 15% rough. I haven't messed with the digestibles yet. Mine is currently at 14.9% digestible, but them not eating the soy makes it considerably less.

A lady I was speaking with who has a meat goat operation here said she doesn't use molasses at all as it causes more fly problems. I do know that they need the sugar boost, and that it's particularly important during later gestation.

I'll need to check into the new Purina horse feeds. That would be workable if there is indeed no animal protein.

I guess I could mix the DE in when I pour it into the bins. I have been pouring some on top and then mixing it in. If I go with a non custom mix I woulsd be keeping less of it on hand in the summer months and that would be a great help in controlling the bugs. I was wondering if bay leaves would work? I put those in flour and beans and it did seem to help, but I haven't found anything saying that it would do the same for grain mixes. It should though....Thanks for your help, ladies!

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), September 10, 2001.


Be careful feeding goats horse feed. It contains no ammonium chloride to prevent urinary calculi. A sheep feed would be better and the copper levels would not be so high.

-- Eleanor Richards (elrichards@neosplice.com), July 02, 2002.

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