# Alfalfa pellets for my pregnant doe?



## bekaah (Feb 21, 2013)

Hello! I have a Nigerian Dwarf doe who is pregnant (due March 3rd) and I've heard from a couple people that you should give pregnant does at the last 30 days alfalfa pellets. I just bought a bag, and I was wondering how much I should be giving her. 

I feed her morning and night:
1/4 quart of Noble Goat feed
1/3 cup of pregnancy tonic from Molly's Herbals
1 flake of alfalfa hay (only night and shares a stall with 3 other goats)
And she goes out into the pasture (with hardly any grass) all day.

For the past couple of days, I've been giving her a handful of the alfalfa pellets in the morning and night. Is there anybody who gives their goats these? I would like to know if I should give her more/less. Thank you!!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I give alfalfa pellets, but my does are on grass hay so they don't have another alfalfa source. I'm giving them about a cup and a half each, with 1/4 cup of kelp, and Molly's pregnancy tonic.

Let me say this about the tonic: WORTH EVERY CENT. We gave it to our girls to help them recover from delivery. When we stopped, bloody discharge started, we started again and BAM, gone. They bounced back so fast, even Gypsy, who had a very rough delivery.


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## bekaah (Feb 21, 2013)

Do you think that's too much alfalfa then? I've heard that it's good for their milk. I'm only giving her a small amount of the pellets, plus the hay. I'm learning about their "feed needs" more and more, and always looking for new advice!

And that's good to know! I actually just ordered more because I just ran out. I read you're supposed to give it to them at 5 weeks away from their due date but I was giving it to her as soon as I got them back it December, so I stopped and started again when it was time. She doesn't like them too much, but knows she'll get a couple treats when she eats them, so she gulps 'em down! 

Thank you sooo much!!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

The pellets are basically alfalfa hay, I see your point in having 'real hay' out for them, But I see this getting very expensive for you and having fat goats lol. What if you did like threehavens and got something a little lesser quality and cheaper on your wallet for them to nibble on. I was doing the same thing as you and starting them on alfalfa for the bags, but then my kids started to get scours and I think its because the milk was too rich, once I put them back on oat hay the kids cleared up but I still wanted something for their milk supply. so now I give them the oat hay in the morning, and I milk the pellets in their grain at night, seems to be working well all around, moms are still raising nice fat kids with out scours.


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## bekaah (Feb 21, 2013)

So cut out the alfalfa hay completely? I still have a bail left, should I stop the pellets till the hay is gone? Then start up the pellets afterwards as a replacement? That would be a whole lot nicer considering the alfalfa hay in my area is being charged at around 18 bucks a bale!!


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

I would finish the bale of hay you have and keep giving the pellets, just increase the amount of pellets as you run out of hay so they are getting about the same amount of lbs of pellets as they were hay. It is important for dairy goats to have a good source of calcium during pregnancy and lactation since alfalfa is high in calcium it is very good for them can help prevent hypocalcemia in high producing does or does with high multiples.

I have standard sized goats and they get about 3 lbs per day of alfalfa pellets.They also have all the grass/grass hay they can eat.


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## mtmom75 (May 19, 2011)

If I were you I'd cut out the alfalfa pellets before I'd cut out the alfalfa hay. I feed alfalfa pellets because I don't have access to good alfalfa hay right now, so they get grass hay and alfalfa pellets. I look at it as kind of either/or, but the alfalfa hay would be preferrable to the pellets. I have fed both at one time after my girls kidded and were a little underconditioned, and it didn't hurt them, but I wouldn't say it's necessary under normal circumstances.


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