# Sweet feed is bad??



## goatkeeper2015 (Feb 10, 2015)

Ok is sweet feed bad for pygmy goats or all goats really?? People keep saying dont feed goats sweet feed. So I was wondering why.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

There are people that feed it. They just don't need all that molasses.


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## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

I feed sweet feed. I've never had a problem with it. Maintenance ration on my farm is 1/2 cup each once a day. My sweet feed is 12% protein.


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## bbpygmy (Apr 14, 2014)

We have sweet feed mixed in our feed...Never had a problem. The molasses can make them gain weight, which can be a good thing in show pygmies.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

I recommend feeding sweet feed along with pelleted grain or in a mix of beet pulp and alfalfa pellets, rather than alone (if you feed more than a cup per day). A lot of molasses can cause acidosis and polio, as I learned the hard way with my dairy doe. It was too much for her to handle, considering I fed a quart or so of it daily.


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## goatkeeper2015 (Feb 10, 2015)

Thank you so much for your help.


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## Audrey1089 (Jan 19, 2015)

We only feed ours sweet feed. They love it. We give them hay with it and also a salt block to lick although they don't really need that. They have never had a problem with it and we have been feeding it for 2 years


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

It's good as *part* of the balanced feed...not the majority....I use it as 1 part of my feed mixture.


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## Audrey1089 (Jan 19, 2015)

They have never had any problems whatsoever but we only have 2 boers. Maybe they are just used to it because that's all they have had for 2 years because it's easier to buy the same feed as the cows


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## 5Kids (Feb 12, 2015)

Sweet feed can cause a lot of problems if overfed. I will cause a rumen to be more acidic, and this changes many things in the animal. I could literally go on & on (my area of study in college) about how fatty acid uptake is uptake is inhibited, sub-acute pathogenesis, yada yada yada. It can be an important tool to manage weight in the elderly, maintain milk production, and provide a highly palliative introduction to solid food for the young. The point to keep it balanced, feeding a more than a pound a day to cattle proved detrimental in studies I was a party to. Thats cattle, which are more tolerant to these types of things in my experience. There is no signs that these are happening, until damage has occurred, especially in situations where the acidosis is very minor and long term. In commercial dairy feeds (TMR) the ration is buffered with obscene amounts of baking soda, I have seen as much as 200lbs/ton. This helps milk production skyrocket in volume, but lowers milk fat. Producers need to keep that in mind, and consider their goals when choosing feeds, and realize there are other options.


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