# Molasses in feed?



## justafarmgirl (May 28, 2014)

Hey fellow goat lovers!
I am going to start mixing my own feed for my goats. My question is to those of you that do do you add any molasses to the feed? So far I only give black strap molasses in warm water right after they kid but wondered if I should add a tbsp to their feed ration (only the milkers mainly). TIA!


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

The molasses is up to you. We add molasses to our feed mix to help bind it all together. It just keeps the dust down in it more or less.


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## Naunnie (Jul 4, 2014)

The folks I got my ND's from, only fed sweet feed. I knew the benefits of molasses but just wasn't sure about feeding it to goats. This thread helped me out. 

http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f217/molasses-there-something-wrong-giving-goats-124662/


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## Hollowdweller (May 5, 2011)

I put a LITTLE in, but the feed I feed now is not very dusty so just a little 5%

When I had a lot of minerals and stuff put in (all that is in the pellet now) I put more in.


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

My guys get sweet feed through the winter  but the regular feed is just fine too  I know breeders who feed only sweet feed and I know some that don't.. I feed it in the winter and the pellets in the summer


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I never put it in. Yes it will not bind together but my girls eat it just fine. When I first started in the goats on eof the 4H kids had a sick goat an dit had diabetics. The vets from CSU said that the goats DO need molasses and don't feed it. We talked about when they needed it and he said no more then whrn person NEEDS a soda. He said of course in th ewarm water when they kid for energy and if you are needing them to drinks. 
That is just wha I was told years ago and I still follow it.


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

What a goat eats is what the milk tastes like.
Molasses will sweeten the milk.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

My goats had the occasional digestive issue and off days when I fed a sweet feed, because that was all I could get. Once I found a good pellet and changed them over, the mysterious off days and digestive upsets went away.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

Molasses will sweeten the milk only if you give so much that the excess sugar has to go somewhere other than the normal places (fat and other places glucose goes for storage.) Having them milk out excess sugar is not a good thing, I bet you will find their blood glucose level is off the charts when that happens.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Molasses its self is not bad, it offers many good minerals good for goats...its the over use of molasses that can create issues....moderation is key...We dont use Molasses on our grain at all...only on home made electros or in warm water when its super cold for a boost of energy, or after kidding...


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