# Sweet feed



## mdonahue (Mar 26, 2013)

I read somewhere to never feed a wether sweet feed. Is this true and what exactly is sweet feed. My grain has molasses in it, do I need to get something else?


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## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

As long as the feed has a balanced calcium/phosphorus ratio if at least 2:1, and you feed a good loose mineral with a similar balance with a bit of alfalfa thrown in you will be fine. Or you can use a mineral with AC added. The reason is a lot of sweet feeds have higher phosphorus, which upsets the proper ratio. This will result in UC.

I fed sweet feed for years and years with never a case of UC. I always add alfalfa pellets to their diet though.


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## mdonahue (Mar 26, 2013)

Ok thank you. I had my feed dumped into a steel bin and never got to read the label on the bag. So now I'm concerned because I really have no idea what I'm feeding the goats.


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## jddolan (Mar 31, 2013)

What kind of feed was it?


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## mdonahue (Mar 26, 2013)

I'm not exactly sure. Goats are not common in my area so my feed supply mill ordered it in for me. They said it is specially formulated for goats, has minerals in it and molasses


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

mdonahue said:


> ...what exactly is sweet feed.


Sweet feed is any kind of grain that has molasses in it or on it. Molasses is sweet, hence the term sweet feed. It can be something as simple as COB (corn, oats, and barley which in then mixed with molasses), or something as complex as a complete ration being marketed under a brand name. Oftentimes sweet feed is used to get bottle babies on solid feed because they like the molasses. I know molasses can upset the digestion and change the acidity of the stomach in horses which results in them eating wood, so I would imagine it could cause problems in other animals as well. Personally, I don't feed it.


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## In_Clover (Feb 28, 2013)

Sweet feed is often called "texturized" feed- usually made up of various grains like corn, oats, and perhaps a little barley. Then molasses is added.

Some people are really touchy when you question them about feeding it, so I won't go on and on. But personally, I won't feed it. I feed a pelleted feed which has a Calcium to Phosphorus ratio of 2:1. It is important that the ratio be intact, or you will invite all kinds of metabolic problems in both does, bucks, and wethers. I know all that sugar would make my Nigerians pretty fat.

I prefer to feed a Ca balanced pelleted feed with ammonium chloride in it to help prevent urinary calculi in male goats, specifically so with wethers. The added ammonium chloride will not hurt the females.

IMO, any grain should be thought of as candy. Too much is not a good idea. I prefer to feed more hay, forage, and soaked beet pulp.


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