# Who soaks their grain before feeding it?



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Just wondering if anyone soaks their grain with water and ACV before feeding it. Is this a good idea? If so how do you do it? 

I just switched to an all natural non GMO grain and the guy I got it from said that it was more digestible being soaked, so I'm wondering if I should try it...


----------



## dnchck (Mar 24, 2014)

My goats won't eat it that way! picky,,I tried soaked beet pulp, alfalfa pellets and they wouldn't eat it. Give it to them regular and they eat it up.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I sprout my grain but not give it to them wet.


----------



## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I soak the beet pulp in the winter and they love it. The alfalfa gets moist when I mix it with the beet oulp and they are fine with it too. 

I don't soak their other feed, I'm not sure they would appreciate it.

Is your feed all grain? In the heat, any soaked feed will start to ferment in the heat. While fermented feed won't hurt them, it doesn't take long to go from fermented to moldy. Moldy will kill.


----------



## WalshKidsGoats (Nov 27, 2012)

I soak/sprout all of our grain. It took them a while to get used to it but now they won't eat it dry! It has worked very well for us!


----------



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

WalshKidsGoats said:


> I soak/sprout all of our grain. It took them a while to get used to it but now they won't eat it dry! It has worked very well for us!


Do you soak in ACV? (Apple cider vinegar)


----------



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Found a couple sites, this one looks intriguing....
http://www.marisstellafarm.org/maris_stella_farm/Grain_Feeding.html


----------



## lilaalil (Sep 5, 2014)

I would like to do this, but with my inconvenient setup, and busy life, even simply soaking grain is more than I can do right now.

I did try it a few times; one of my goats gobbled it right up, the other, pickier one, needed it buried in "normal" grain before she would touch it. 

I'm sure they would both get used to it in time, and I do think it would help them get more out of it. I will probably start again when I have a better milking/feeding setup.


----------



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

lottsagoats1 said:


> I soak the beet pulp in the winter and they love it. The alfalfa gets moist when I mix it with the beet oulp and they are fine with it too.
> 
> I don't soak their other feed, I'm not sure they would appreciate it.
> 
> Is your feed all grain? In the heat, any soaked feed will start to ferment in the heat. While fermented feed won't hurt them, it doesn't take long to go from fermented to moldy. Moldy will kill.


I would actually just soak over night and them feed in the AM..., so I don't think there would be too much time to mold really. I'm going to once a day milking in the AM so they will get their grain then.


----------



## burtfarms (Apr 4, 2013)

we do, we mix 1/4cup of acv with our grain at night, and feed it first thing in the morning before it gets warm, ours are so spoiled thats the only way they will eat it


----------



## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

It's all in what they are used to! Like with anything, start slow and let them, and their digestive tract get used to the new diet. 

I doubt it would ferment overnight unless it got really hot! 

So, I wondering, since we are discussing fementation and soaking-

Fermenting chicken feed for your poultry does wonderful things for the chickens- better egg production, healthier birds, brighter feathers etc. I wonder how fermented feed would be for goats? Isn't that what spent brewers grains are?


----------



## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

lottsagoats1 said:


> It's all in what they are used to! Like with anything, start slow and let them, and their digestive tract get used to the new diet.
> 
> I doubt it would ferment overnight unless it got really hot!
> 
> ...


I used to get brewers grain, but it would mold way to fast. I am going to try it with my chickens too, but thought I'd try it with my goats first. I guess when you soak you use warm/hot water according to the article I posted and it will ferment in 12-24 hours. I'm going to try milking once a day, but I think my girls will get way too uncomfortable, but we'll see what happens... I'll keep everyone posted


----------

