# Kelp Meal



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

Someone I know feeds her Alpine goats kelp meal. I have Nigerians and I was wondering if anyone was familiar with feeding kelp meal. What are the benefits? I'm just trying to get the pros and cons; and if anyone knows if I should feed it all the time or just when they freshen. Any advice is appreciated!


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

I've given it to mine a lot of times. They LOVE it, and it is very good for them - lots of minerals, in natural form so they can be absorbed best. If you offer a good goat loose mineral, kelp is not really necessary, but still a good idea. I had the feed store order it for me for a pretty good price.


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## Storme (Oct 5, 2012)

*Kelp meal and general feeding question*

Im a brand new goat owner and I keep reading about giving them kelp meal free choice... is there a brand name I could look for? would tractor supply carry it (though my tsc is very small and likely wont have much)..

also.. any brand names of good feeds?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I feed my goats kelp and loose mineral free choice. I buy my kelp at Ohio Earth Food. While my goats probably don't need both, they just seem to be healthier.


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## Mandara Farm (Sep 12, 2010)

Thorvin Kelp is the very best. It's hard to find though, and expensive. Still, if I could find a regular supplier I would go with it because of the quality. Right now I have Acadia (I think that's it...) from Hoeggars. It's ok. From how my goats respond to it -- not great but just ok


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## 8566 (Jul 18, 2012)

yuppers .... thorvin kelp.

I buy mine in the 50# bags from Azure Standard. We have a dropship close by so it's nice.

Azure Standard is a direct organic food supplier.

HTH,


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Totally agree with milkmaid. I put some kelp in their minerals when I have it. So darn expensive though with a herd of my size. They really love it though and there are definately lots of health benefits.


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## byardbabe (Jan 14, 2010)

Mandara Farm,
Hi not to butt in, haha but I also feed my girls kelp that I get from Hoeggars. The website says it is Thorvin Kelp, but you say it's not it's Acadia kelp. Why do you say this? I am curious, because I have bought Kelp from Hoeggars for sevral years. They use to love it, couldn"t keep the bowls full. Now they still eat it but not with as much enthusiam (sorry about the spelling). I did check my bag, which is packaged by Hoeggars, they are calling it Throvin Kelp. I just wanted to make sure I was getting what I am paying for I guess is the reason I am asking.


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## Mandara Farm (Sep 12, 2010)

Hi Byardbabe,

I got mine a while ago and it was the gal on the phone who told me it wasn't Thorvin and that they no longer carried it. I think I got Thorvin from them once, but when I went to reorder they were carrying another kind so I just tried that. If your bag says Thorvin I would hope that's the real deal. If you've had it for a while it probably is -- maybe you got it back when they still had it like my first order.

LilBleats, I will definitely check out Azure Standard! Thanks for posting the info -- if you have a drop point close to you, maybe there is also a drop point in Denver or Ft Collins where I can get some (I'm up in Longmont)


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## canthavejust1 (Oct 12, 2012)

How about getting it fresh from the shore? I live near the coast now and could easily grab a few bucketfuls of seaweed....same idea or no? Anyone do this?


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## Thecowboysgirl (Aug 28, 2012)

We also live near the ocean and have thought about collecting our own but never followed through...

I keep it out alongside the Sweetlix, and they eat it like candy. I buy the Healthy Minerals from Countryside Organic.  They definitely do seem hardier on it than before...but that just might have been my learning curve in goatherding.


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## TwistedKat (Dec 28, 2012)

I'm curious about free choice kelp too. Our local Food Co-op offered a class on how to collect sea vegetables and where to get them, ie. which beach is the best beach, haha.

I would assume that some beaches are more toxic than others.

I'm curious about free choice kelp and the ramifications of over iodine toxicity? It doesn't seem to be a problem with so many goat owners offering free choice.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Mine LOVE it!
I order from here http://noamkelp.com and have it shipped right to my door.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

TwistedKat said:


> I'm curious about free choice kelp too. Our local Food Co-op offered a class on how to collect sea vegetables and where to get them, ie. which beach is the best beach, haha.
> 
> I would assume that some beaches are more toxic than others.
> 
> I'm curious about free choice kelp and the ramifications of over iodine toxicity? It doesn't seem to be a problem with so many goat owners offering free choice.


Not to jump in, but did you attend this class? I'm in the columbia gorge but we do go to the coast, usually seaside once a year. I wonder if you get it washed up on shore take it home and dry it??


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## TwistedKat (Dec 28, 2012)

Clearwtrbeach, unfortunately I have to work weekends and didn't get to attend. Next time it comes around I'm taking the weekend off. 

I have friends that collect from the beach and use it in their garden. My friends say the beaches most open to the ocean are best.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

My goats love it. i have fed it free choice for years.


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## WillowGem (Aug 3, 2011)

My bag of kelp came today...my goats won't touch it! 
My guys are always cautious of new things, but I was wondering how long it took most of your goats before they decided they liked it?

I guess if all else fails, and the goat never eat it, I can use it for my dogs.
They were going nuts over the smell when I opened the bag.


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## MissyParkerton (Nov 24, 2012)

My little guys had it at the farm where they came from so were already loving it when they came here. It might just take them a while to warm up to it. You could also top dress their grain with it...


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## JaLyn (Oct 10, 2012)

I know a breeder that uses it and you wouldn't beleive how much her ND's milk and how healthy they are. When i go to get supplies again i'm getting some..


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I'm going to get some kelp to feed my pregnant girls. We can't afford to feed it all the time, but I'm planning to feed it the last month or so of pregnancy, to encourage easier delivery


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## WillowGem (Aug 3, 2011)

Well, it didn't take them long to like their kelp.
They were both chowing on it this morning! 
Anything to keep my guys healthier works for me.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

TwistedKat said:


> Clearwtrbeach, unfortunately I have to work weekends and didn't get to attend. Next time it comes around I'm taking the weekend off.
> 
> I have friends that collect from the beach and use it in their garden. My friends say the beaches most open to the ocean are best.


definately let me know what you find out if you get to attend. Also as far as do they dry it then grind it up would be good to know, and how long it keeps.


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## Casa_la_Palma (Oct 15, 2013)

I wonder if they can eat to much at once when it's first introduced? (I have this kind "Acadian Sea Plants" Kelp Meal – ascophyllum nodosu - OMRI certified) My recently bred doelings went nuts over it this morning when I offered it to them so I only let them have so much. I do plan on offering it to them free choice a long with their sweetlix meat maker, does that sound OK?


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## klburt73 (Nov 1, 2013)

My Saanens didn't want kelp the first day I put it out, but by day 2 they were devouring it. I let them have as much as they wanted and by day 4 they moderated their intake. They still take more of it than their minerals/salt, though.

I have no idea if this is a true correlation, but two weeks after I began offering kelp my most productive doe ( at 8 months post-kidding) went from 4 lbs of milk every morning to 6 or 6.5 lbs every morning. May not be the kelp but I'm not changing anything now.

Kevin


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