# beet pulp questions



## StaceyRosado

Ok so I have a doe who is giving me 3 cups in one milking -- great yes, but bad for her as she is very thin.

It is Aspen. 

I have been increasing her grain but with no results plus she has access to browse almost all day. 

So for those of you who use beat pulp what kind do you like best, pellets or shredded? What does a bag usually run? How much do you feed your doe/s. Aspen is a nigerian dwarf so if you are feeding standard dairy make note of that for me.

Thanks


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## Muddy Creek Farm

I have some milkers who are thin too, even with getting a hefty amount of grain. I am going to dry them up as soon as I can to get condition on them. I have just started feeding Beet Pulp and I buy the shredded kind. I feed one cup twice a day, I am scared to give them anymore then that. They get 2 cups of grain with Fast track and BOSS twice a day as well.


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## fritzie

i use the shredded also & i mix it with alfalfa pelletts. mine get a scoop with there grain twice aday. some lines just don't put the weight on if they are good milkers. i have had some that i had to dry off before they would look good.


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## StaceyRosado

how much is your scoop? like a cup or two cups?


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## RunAround

I feed the pellets. I just throw two handfuls in with their grain.


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## hprice3920

Mine LOVE the beet pulp and get excited when they see me go to the bin to get some for them. I could not get hay at all last year and the breeder told me to use beet pulp. I get mine from Tractor Supply and it just went up in price to $13.49 for 40 lbs.
They told me to put water in it and feed it to them soft, but mine don't like it when it's wet so I feed it dry over their grain and sometimes put out a whole bucket for them. (10 goats).
They love the beet pulp more than the grain.
I don't have any milkers.


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## fritzie

a level scoop is about the same as a 1 pound coffee can.


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## StaceyRosado

now the question is going to be finding someone in my area that carries it :GAAH:


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## goatnutty

I get the shredded kind but not all the goats get it all the time.We also feed it to the horses.


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## kelebek

Ok - I have to get it on this - because as I skimmed the posts I didn't see this -

**** Make sure you soak the beet pulp before you give it to any animal ****

Beet pulp swells to about 3-4 times the original size and can cause blockages. I have seen animals choke on it and have heard of horses dying from it not being soaked. I use beet pulp on my horses when I got them because 2 of them were soooo skinny. I would soak it for about 20 minutes in warm water and then add a small amount of molassas and then the alfalfa pellets. I know with horses that you can also add a cup or so of regular Vegetable Oil (yeppers cooking oil) to help bulk - not sure if goats can handle the oil or not.

All stock stores carry beet pulp and I pay about 14.00 for a 50 pound bag. Now over winter it was flying off of the shelves faster then it could come in - but you should not have a problem this time of year.


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## StaceyRosado

I have read that you don't have to soak the shredded kind.

If you watch alfafa pellets they swell up too -- but no one says to soak them :shrug:


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## kelebek

Alfalfa pellets do not swell any where near the amount that the beet pulp does. Also beet pulp tends to be alot heavier on the stomach (it is weight wise also)

On my horse forum they say to soak the shredded also ..... but to each his own I guess. I personally soak all of my beet pulp - I would rather be safe. I don't soak the alfalfa usually unless I put a hint of molassas water on it as a treat


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## fritzie

i have been feeding the shredded for 5 years now & i have never wet it. mine won't eat it if it is wet. i have never had any one swell from it.
i get mine at the coop but tracktor supply also carries it as do most feed stores.


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## sweetgoats

Fritzie, Good to see you here. How are you doing?

Ok, I have used Beet pulp for years and I was aslo told to ALWAYS soak it. I have friends that do not soak it and they have never had any trouble either. So I think you will be safe if you do not soak it. 

When my does kid, I do saok mine but I also add a little more molasses in it so they will eat it. In the winter they LOVE it when it is soaked in warm or hot water.


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## Muddy Creek Farm

Here is where the confusion is. Horses you MUST soak it, Goats you DO NOT have to soak it. If it is the shredded kind. Just do not over feed it. 

I know many long time breeders that feed it without soaking, and have had not problems with it.


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## fritzie

hi lori i am doing pretty good. i had to go yeasterday for a blood transfusion so pretty tired today.
i think if i was to feed the pelletts then i would soak but never have had to the shredded


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## susanne

delete


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## heavenlyhaven

i just bought my first bag of shredded pulp at TSC 
40# for $13.49 and it already has molasses added to it
i soak it
i mix 2C of pulp with 3C of water and let soak all day then before i mix it i put it in a strainer and squeeze the excess water out
the goats seem to like it
there is never anything left
but i don't see an increase in milk production yet

PS) 
what is "distillers" and what is it's purpose?


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## StaceyRosado

yes I am feeding alfafa pellets -- maybe not enough :shrug: what do you suggest for a nigerian doe who is 2 years old and giving 3 cups of milk just in the morning?

I am not looking for more production just to condition Aspen who doesn't look really bad but I can really feel her ribs!


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## susanne

delete


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## goathappy

We have shredded beet pulp in the grain. We have fed the shredded stuff soaked with warm water and molasses. Some girls like it some girls don't.

I've been talking to Yogi's breeder a lot lately(she is so smart) and I asked her about Raven, because Raven isn't doing to well lately with her weight(I am having mineral troubles with her too) She said to give Raven olive oil twice a day, since Raven doesn't eat her food so she suggested I rub it on her udder and her topline(she is clipped) and she will suck hte extra calories in from the olive oil. I just started, but i'll have to see how it works. She also said I could drench her with it too.


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## kelebek

horses we use vegetable oil - and it works great! With a horse it is 1-2 cups up to twice a day. (1000 # horse)


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## susanne

delete


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## StaceyRosado

Yes I am feeding BOSS. I decided to up her BOSS amount and her alfafa pellets and see if that helps before getting into the beep pulp as I already have those and money really is tight. 

This morning I finished milking her before she was done eating. 

Another thing is I had a kid diagnosed with Coccidia on Tuesday (long story to come later) and I think she may have it too so I am going to treat her according to the vets instructions.


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## goathappy

Susanne,
She is UTD on worming and I know minerals are the problem, but I cannot get her to eat any minerals at all. I've offered her several brands and she won't touch anything. I am buying some herbal things from Yogi's breeder that will help with the mineral imbalance and hopefully get her better. She has been doing herbal things for a very long time with her animals and she knows a lot. She was the one that recommended the olive oil and she has used it with no problems. If it is a problem with destroying bacteria in her rumen, I can give her some Fastrack to fix that. My vet also recommends olive oil mixed with MOM for sick goats to keep their rumen coated and buffered to prevent acidity during the time they are sick.


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## heavenlyhaven

TSC has a goat mineral bucket
it is black and is $13.39 or some such silly amount
(the bucket is worth almost that)
it is called "goat protein pail" i think
i used to buy something similar
called equi-lass as it was made for horses
and the hardware store i bought it from quit carrying it
now that TSC has this bucket i buy 4 at a time and the goats love it!!!!!
it is in a molasses base and you put it out in pasture thru sun, rain, sleet, snow, whatever and it does not disolve
even the babies love it

Ps) i screwed up my grain % because i just wasnt thinking and dropped my grain from 16% to just below 13% :GAAH: so i bought some soy bean meal today which is 47% and figured out that a 6:1 ratio will give me just under 18% so the wet beet pulp does wonders for mixing in this powdery additive


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## susanne

delete


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## liz

Stacey, I don't have the issue with Bink that you have with Aspen, but Bootsie..my 8 year old pygmy/nigi has a spine that feels like a razor blade! She was always like this, even though they each get 2 cups 18% 2x a day and all the browse they want...minerals and hay too...she just always puts everything into the milk bucket! Seems that Aspen is getting all the great things that should work for her but you may find that when she has weaned her kids she'll continue to fill your bucket, some girls just aim to please. Though I do milk twice a day, with Boots and Binky I still get 6 1/2 pounds between them, I dried Tilly off because it wasn't worth the hassle and frustration to keep her from self nursing...Binky is the only one that has slowed her production and she has a healthy layer covering her bones. I hope you can find a solution and are willing to pass it on to those of us dealing with "girls that are too giving", like my Bootsie.

BTW...Sorry to hear of the sick baby, hope you can enlighten us.


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## goathappy

susanne said:


> yes i would use herbals too.
> to buffer a rumen if it is needed here, i use baking soda, never used oil. at my place oil is for treating frothy bloat or over eating on grain only. thank goodness i have not had to use it yet.
> sarah when you start drenching you goat with oil, please come back and report how it went. maybe you want to contact karin christensen first. she is specialized in goat biology and can tell you a lot about rumen function. [email protected]
> good luck


Thanks, I'll email her and check out the olive oil thing. Actually I haven't started drenching her with it yet, I've just been putting it on her topline and she's started eating food all the sudden(lil bugger, no minerals) My vet has recommended olive oil too.

My vet recommends MOM instead of baking soda because MOM will 'stick' in the rumen longer than baking soda will, which is really important when a goat is sick.


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## capriola-nd

> TSC has a goat mineral bucket
> it is black and is $13.39 or some such silly amount
> (the bucket is worth almost that)
> it is called "goat protein pail" i think


What is TSC? Also, what is the value of beet pulp? Is it good for milkers only? I've seen it at our feed store but am always nervous to try new things. I have one doe due to freshen soon (looks like she'll have quads again, third time in a row!) Anyways, she puts everything into milk production and even got sick last time, I need to have her in the best of shape and also have something extra as alfalfa is not enough for her.


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## liz

Olivia, TSC is Tractor Supply Company....I have 3 here...the closest is 15 miles away and the farthest is 25....great place to have as most "private" milling companies don't always have what I need. The beet pulp adds extra protein and fiber....I can't find the alfalfa pellets but I do give the cubes after breaking them up.


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## Sweet Gum Minis

I also feed beet pulp to my milkers and I mix in probably 2 scoops into my whole mix. I haven't had a problem with milkers dropping dramatic weight or anything. I haven't milked any for a very long time this year, but for the few months I did milk each they were fine.

The type I feed is beet pulp shreds with molasses.


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## smwon

kelebek said:


> Alfalfa pellets do not swell any where near the amount that the beet pulp does. Also beet pulp tends to be alot heavier on the stomach (it is weight wise also)
> 
> On my horse forum they say to soak the shredded also ..... but to each his own I guess. I personally soak all of my beet pulp - I would rather be safe. I don't soak the alfalfa usually unless I put a hint of molassas water on it as a treat


I just wanted to inject a thought here. I feed my kids alfalfa pellets. But this spring I wanted to use alfalfa pellets on my garden so I put them in a 5 gallon bucket, just half full and poured hot water to the top of the bucket to make them moistened. They not only swelled to the top of the container, but went about 5 inches above it. The point I am making is that alfalfa easily swells to 3 or 4 times it's original volume once it gets wet.

I have been considering the beet pulp pellets and was worried about giving it without soaking it. Now I just am not sure... I don't want to feed molasses.


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## smwon

I found this interesting an informative article about The Myths and Reality of Beet Pulp and thought I would share it.


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## StaceyRosado

good website --- everyone should read that artical.


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## toth boer goats

> I found this interesting an informative article about The Myths and Reality of Beet Pulp and thought I would share it.


 Thanks for sharing the info with us Linda .............real interesting article


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## Tanya Ploss

fritzie said:


> i have been feeding the shredded for 5 years now & i have never wet it. mine won't eat it if it is wet. i have never had any one swell from it.
> i get mine at the coop but tracktor supply also carries it as do most feed stores.


I am gonna bet on this the difference is in the way goats chew verses horses. I would say she is right in doing so for her horses and my bag does say to do so for them however that being said goats are a ruminate animal so they likely don't need this done if there healthy


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## ksalvagno

This is an old thread from 2008.


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## Valarie White

I know this is an old thread, however I found it as well at this group in a google search this morning. Shredded beet pulp is the safest way to feed. Whether or not you decide to soak or not is up to you. When it is really cold here( under 40) I geed beet pulp soaked to provide extra water. The 2 ponies love it, however I have to add molassas to get the goats to eat it. They love it dry. The finer the shred the less the swell. Avoid beet pulp pellets if you can.


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