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Author Topic: Sugarbeet and feed supplements  (Read 10016 times)

countrywoman

  • Joined Nov 2011
Sugarbeet and feed supplements
« on: November 28, 2011, 03:11:18 pm »
Can anyone tell me the best way to feed sugarbeet cubes? 

I used to feed them to cattle without soaking and to horses well-soaked.  I think I have heard that goats like them drenched with hot water and fed still warm but I cannot remember who told me! 

At the moment my two GGs are on sheep mix and Just Grass morning and evening at milking time with ad-lib hay and any forage I can cut, at the moment mostly nettles, brambles, willow etc.  I want to give a sugarbeet feed midday now it is  finally getting colder.  Does this seem right?

Also, should I get a feed supplement, like Caprivite?  One is a goatling just mated and the other an in-milk first kidder, also just mated.  I plan to dry her off in February, she is due to kid in late April.  She is only giving 2 pints maximum per day, which is all we need, so I don't think she is depleting herself yet.

Any advice welcome, please.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Sugarbeet and feed supplements
« Reply #1 on: November 28, 2011, 09:27:05 pm »
I also have GG's, one a still a kid, one milker (not in kid, she's having a year off) and another milker (just in kid, hopefully).

I have found that my GG milkers do best on actual goat mix (though it's a bit pricey) and rolled oats for their morning and evening feed. My older GG does not like dairy nuts. At lunchtime I feed soaked sugar beet shreds, still warm, with a sprinkling of garlic and also caprivite - that way they will eat it. Also then they get some more oats and some dairy nuts (the kid likes them). However I would be careful in feeding dairy nuts to GG's, they tend to get a bit fat on them, and don't necessarily milk better....

At the moment I feed my older nanny and the kid together, as it doesn't matter if they put on a bit of fat, they are not in-kid.

My in-kid nanny at the moment only gets a handful of sugarbeet with the garlic and Caprivite at lunchtime. Nothing else. She is milked once a day and gives just under one litre. She will be dried off by mid-December. I have been slimming her down since the end of the summer.

Everybody has hay-ad-lib of course.

The reason why I am sounding so complicated with my feeding regime is that both my GG girls had pregnancy toxeamia this last spring. I am not sure if GG's are more likely to get it than the larger dairy breeds, but I am maybe also a bit to blame in that they were possibly a bit on the chubby side early on in their pregnancy and with the cold winter we had they were stabled all winter and maybe had a bit more concentrate feed than they should have had... So this year I am trying to keep the one in-kid quite trim, which explains the low milk yield as well.

I do not want to scare you, but just keep an eye on their weight by checking their backbone/condition score them. If they are NOT milking they will do fine on hay and a handful (yes only a handful) of goat mix, with another handful of shreds, so that you can add the Caprivite/Garlic/seaweed if you feel it necessary. If they are milking about 300g of mix (or mix and oats) plus about 500g for every half litre will be enough for them. Some fruit/veg at lunchtime is also good. Your feeding regime sounds about right.


wytsend

  • Joined Oct 2010
  • Okehampton
Re: Sugarbeet and feed supplements
« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2011, 08:03:43 am »
Hi Guys,

Feed sugarbeet as you would for horses... can be fed dry.. better fed soaked.

The goat mineral mix that I have been discussing with various people on this forum is perfect for GGs.

It will also more than likely solve the pregnancy toxeamia problem with 99% of goats.   This problem is related to feed deficiencies & energy shortage.  Caprivite was the first specific goat supplement but is now quite short of a lot of essential elements.

Feed is produced in ways to suit the commercial market for cattle & sheep..... goat mixes only contain sheep minerals which means no copper.  A goat requires the same amount of copper as a cow!!!!!

Can I send your sample of the mineral mix with the breakdown.... makes Caprivite look a very poor relation.

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Sugarbeet and feed supplements
« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2011, 12:37:52 pm »
My girls have their sugar beet pellets soaked and mixed in with their coarse mix twice a day, which is what was recommended when I bought my first one.  Having said that, flo gets her head in the feed bin whenever she's gets the chance and eats it dry.

Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
Re: Sugarbeet and feed supplements
« Reply #4 on: November 29, 2011, 12:48:29 pm »
as I re-introduced sugar beet for the winter (nuts, because OH brought the wrong one) I fed dry as I was only giving a little, but as I gave more I soaked it, feeding it just slightly warm, later in winter I'll probably feed it warmer.
When you see how much it swells you have to wonder how their stomachs deal with it, also they wouldhave to dring a lot of cold(?) water so it can swell,

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Sugarbeet and feed supplements
« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2011, 01:15:50 pm »
When you see how much it swells you have to wonder how their stomachs deal with it, also they wouldhave to dring a lot of cold(?) water so it can swell,

I am just a softie in winter - mine get warm water to drink if it is really cold. And the shreds soaked and still quite hot too... However I have fed them dry sometimes during the summer- but find that then they leave the minerals and garlic/seaweed in the botton of the feed bowl...

countrywoman

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Sugarbeet and feed supplements
« Reply #6 on: November 29, 2011, 03:21:40 pm »
Lots of good info here, thanks to all of you. 

My milker is about right in weight, according to my vet, but the goatling is a little on the chunky side.  I have reduced her concentrates (she gets a handful at each milking because I am getting her used to popping on the milk stand) so that will hopefully even out soon.  I was feeding goat mix but neither would eat it and a friend suggested trying them on sheep mix - which they love.  But I did think they might need supplements of minerals and yes, Wytsend, I would love to try your concoction.  PM me for my address, please. 

I discovered after I bought them that they will only drink warm (meaning very warm) water.  Hadn't heard of this before!  Of course that doesn't mean that just because I have donned hat, scarf, coat, wellies and carried two bucketsful to their shed that they will actually drink it while it is warm.  No - they wait until it has cooled and then look forlorn as though implying the service isn't what they are used to.  Luckily I have a woodstove and keep a kettle on it - every time it boils, I take it out to top their buckets up.  Not sure how they would cope if someone was out all day.

Interesting to see that other goats need inducment to eat sugarbeet even when soaked, I might try mixing some with chopped apple which they love.

ballingall

  • Moderator
  • Joined Sep 2008
  • Avonbridge, Falkirk
Re: Sugarbeet and feed supplements
« Reply #7 on: November 29, 2011, 09:39:21 pm »
We normally mix sugarbeet with a little soya bean meal for those that are pregnant (its high protein) or flaked barley for those that aren't pregnant. Ours get as an extra feed in winter at 5pm (rotated with alflafa).

Beth

Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
Re: Sugarbeet and feed supplements
« Reply #8 on: November 29, 2011, 11:13:56 pm »
We normally mix sugarbeet with a little soya bean meal for those that are pregnant (its high protein) or flaked barley for those that aren't pregnant. Ours get as an extra feed in winter at 5pm (rotated with alflafa).

Beth

Last winter (esp when cold) I was giving an extra warm feed about 11pm/midnight, I was down there at midnight Christmas eve, I know its only a date, but I got quite emotional, there again, it's such a lovely feeling in the still of the night, just the three of us, they calmly munching and me sat watching thinking how lucky I am.  :love:;D

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Sugarbeet and feed supplements
« Reply #9 on: November 30, 2011, 12:16:46 am »

 Luckily I have a woodstove and keep a kettle on it - every time it boils, I take it out to top their buckets up.  Not sure how they would cope if someone was out all day.


Not spoiled at all then?  Mine get hot water twice a day in winter.  They seem to have asbestos insides as they can drink much hotter water than me.


jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: Sugarbeet and feed supplements
« Reply #10 on: November 30, 2011, 05:37:10 am »
Mine drink cold water straight from the beck, either directly or in their buckets!
I've occasionally taken the chill off it in very cold (-18 ) weather.....

plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
    • Facebook
Re: Sugarbeet and feed supplements
« Reply #11 on: November 30, 2011, 09:17:54 am »


Last winter (esp when cold) I was giving an extra warm feed about 11pm/midnight, I was down there at midnight Christmas eve, I know its only a date, but I got quite emotional, there again, it's such a lovely feeling in the still of the night, just the three of us, they calmly munching and me sat watching thinking how lucky I am.  :love:;D

Just reading this made my eyes fill up a bit!! see I'm soppy too  ;)  People we know tell us how lucky we are to have a smallholding  and apart from the sad stuff, the hard work where youput your back out, falling over in the mud etc I think hubby and I really appreciate it too. you are giving me ideas for xmas eve now - glass of plum wine, with the goats while I wait to hear the sleighbells  ;)
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

countrywoman

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Sugarbeet and feed supplements
« Reply #12 on: November 30, 2011, 01:47:59 pm »
Mine drink cold water straight from the beck, either directly or in their buckets!
I've occasionally taken the chill off it in very cold (-18 ) weather.....

Mine would be drinking cold water too except that, when they first arrived, they wouldn't drink at all.  I was really worried about the milker and rang the former owner - I thought maybe our water tasted unpleasant. 

She suggested adding molasses and - of course, she said - the water must be hot!  I've now discovered that once they get used to hot they are reluctant to go back to cold.  Though I imagine, driven by thirst, they would eventually take a drink I don't want to risk dehydration in the meantime.  Maybe next summer I can gradually get them used to lukewarm instead of hot.  I won't be encouraging any kids I keep to develop such demanding habits!

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: Sugarbeet and feed supplements
« Reply #13 on: November 30, 2011, 06:16:51 pm »
It is sold as one of the plus point about Old English goats, that they'll drink water at ambient temperatures, so I think your goats are more normal - I'm just glad mine aren't so demanding (well, in this respect anyway  :D)

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Sugarbeet and feed supplements
« Reply #14 on: November 30, 2011, 09:13:37 pm »


Last winter (esp when cold) I was giving an extra warm feed about 11pm/midnight, I was down there at midnight Christmas eve, I know its only a date, but I got quite emotional, there again, it's such a lovely feeling in the still of the night, just the three of us, they calmly munching and me sat watching thinking how lucky I am.  :love:;D

Just reading this made my eyes fill up a bit!! see I'm soppy too  ;)  People we know tell us how lucky we are to have a smallholding  and apart from the sad stuff, the hard work where youput your back out, falling over in the mud etc I think hubby and I really appreciate it too. you are giving me ideas for xmas eve now - glass of plum wine, with the goats while I wait to hear the sleighbells  ;)

What a lovely idea.  Not sure where I'd get the plum wine but I'm sure a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon would do instead.   :D

 

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