# Beet Pulp



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I bought a bag at the feed store today. 
How do you feed it, it feels pellet like? I haven't looked at the text on the bag, or opened it up yet. 
Do you just mix it with their grain, or give it seperately?

Any idea how much to give boer does? And what about offering it to my 2 1/2 month old kids?

We are not buying alfalfa hay anymore, it's just too expensive for decent hay around here, so we're switching to alfalfa pellets <they already get pellets, so they are already adjusted, we'll just offer them more often...>
It's mostly for my does....


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## Dodge 'Em (Jan 13, 2011)

I bought a bag once, but it was shredded, not pellets. Mine wouldnt touch it, sniffed it and turned and walked away.


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## Hidden Waters Farm (Oct 3, 2010)

We have the shreds. Some of our goats like it and others not so much. We usually soak it into like a mash. It helps to add some sweetener if they dont like it much. (great for ketosis prevention anyways). With goats I think its really hit and miss with any foods. :shrug:


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## heavenlyhaven (Apr 17, 2008)

have seen the pellet but never bought
feed shred with molasses all year round soaked in water
in winter it freezes and they use as a lick of sorts
also, they like the molasses so it causes them to ingest more water in the winter than they would otherwise
summer - helps keep them hydrated
sick goats will eat this soaked in warm water when they wont eat anything else
(at least mine will)
gets water and sugar into them 
i give to does for a week after kidding 
(i keep fresh does with babies separate for first week)
it adds extra moisture for that added milk production


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## myfainters (Oct 30, 2009)

I buy the pellets and mix it in with their alfalfa pellets and grain...of course I don't add beet Pulp to any that are already on the 'errr hefty side. LOL It really packs the weight on. None of mine liked the shredded either...but they all eat the pellets.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Never used the pellets but my Hank LOVED the shreds once soaked in water...slurped it down like it was candy!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks so much! It felt like a tiny pellet but was actually shredded once I was able to get outside and get a closer look. 
I took a chance, and just mixed it into their feed ration <I also add in some BOSS>, and everyone ate it up! So hopefully they will take up to it in the grain and not need it soaked <I can see me forgetting to soak it all the time LOL>.

How much do you all feed yours? I don't want to over do it, but I am getting my girls built back up after kidding, and I have one that will be weaning soon that the kids have started to take a lot out of so I am hoping this just helps build her back up a little more.

I didn't realize you could feed beet pulp year round. When I worked with horses, we only used it for mares who had trouble keeping weight on. If they take up to it, then I'd like to keep it in their feed ration


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## Coyote Night Acres (Dec 27, 2010)

What are the benefits of beet pulp?

I'm very interested in this topic, because I have a couple of the dairy doe's that are just pouring everything they got into the milk production and feeding kids on top of it. I've seen a bag of this stuff by Standly in our feed store, we buy the standly alfalfa pellets and if this would be of a big benefit without too much hassle to feed (Not a big fan of having to soak things) we might consider it. In the event that the goats don't like it, did someone say you can feed it to your horses?


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Here's something I found on the internet:
Despite being a byproduct of sugar beet processing, beet pulp itself is low in sugar and other non-structural carbohydrates, but high in energy and fiber.[1] Among other nutrients, it contains 10 percent protein, 0.8 percent calcium and 0.5 percent phosphorus. It has no Vitamin A, so additional forage or supplementation is required to provide complete nutrition.[2] Sometimes molasses is added to improve palatability

It's supposed to add energy, BUT, also helps them put on weight/fill out.

Here's the site I was looking at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beet_pulp

The horses at the farms my hubby has worked for always have beet pulp mixed in for nursing mares. But they soak it and add more of it in for horses who are under weight. I don't recall a horse choking on it, but I am sure it happens.

I'll just feed it dry to the girls so long as they will eat it that way. I bought a HUGE bag of it for about $10 so it wasn't expensive.


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## heavenlyhaven (Apr 17, 2008)

i just put a couple of dry scoops in a bucket and carry out to pasture and pour it in the water bucket as i am filling it

i was told not to feed it dry as it can absorb the natural moisture in the goats stomach and swell causing bloat and death
dont know how true that is but, seriously think about it, if you take 1/4 dry and add water to it until it cannot absorb any more it is about a cup worth
it expands 2 or 3 times in size
so if you put a cup of dry in their grain it COULD exand in their tummies and cause damage
like i said, dont know the truth, but the theory is sound...
anyway
i have 3 water buckets avail at all times
one plain water
one acv water
on shred pulp (comes with molasses in bag)


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Wow I'd never heard that before, interesting! I've been told that it will make them consume a lot more water if you feed it dry. 
Wouldn't feeding it dry do that to any animal? Because on the bag it does have instructions for feeding dry or wet. I just add a little to their grain ration, but not enough that I am worried, but I'll definitely keep an eye on them! So far my goats are PICKY about water, they won't touch water if you put anything in it, molasses, gatorade, karo syrup, anything. But, I might add this to one of the buckets and see what they do....


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## mrs. lam (Apr 20, 2010)

Mine won't eat it wet. :shrug: I give them a little in the feed and they munch away. Been using it off and on as needed for over a year. I do have to watch weight with it. Murray STILL looks like he's going to kid! :laugh: He was super skinny and sick when we rescued him. Three + years later and you would never know he had been so bad. He is so pretty and shinny and round. I rub his sides and tease him. "Oh! I think I felt it kick!" He looks at me with his "I'm sooo not amused." look. He's my butterball.  

Gina


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