Re: [AlpacaTalk] RE: feed
hi - my alpacas don't like their pellets, they leave them in the bottom of the feed dish - that is what started me looking for an alternative to the feed we get locally.
I agree about the starches and sugars, altho to quote Dr. Robert VanSaun, "As a start i would suggest you consider using fiber byproducts as the primary ingredients rather than the traditional corn, oats, or barley grains. Fibre byproducts include ingredients like beet pulp, soyhullls, wheat bran or middlings, citrus pulp or rice bran among others"
He had a lot of questions that i am just now beginning to answer - this is an interesting process, and i think at the very least i will know a lot more about alpaca nutritional needs, and we will have a better feed available at the local feed mill.
I contacted pac-a-nutrition - love the look of their farm and their alpacas - farm land like that makes me drool - of course they are many miles too far from me to even consider shipping but i have asked some questions regarding nutrition and i hope they get back to me.
all the best to everyone - i am off to christmas shop, finally. We have so much snow here that i haven't been able to get off the farm for the last week.
Wendy
DreamWeaver Alpacas
Port Alberni, BC
----- Original Message -----
From: Heather Zeleny
To: AlpacaTalk@yahoogro
Sent: Saturday, December 20, 2008 9:49 AM
Subject: Re: [AlpacaTalk] RE: feed
There are definite reasons for feeding pellets. The alpacas like them!
It's a good way to get the alpacas into the stalls. Our feed is
concentrated, so we feed only 1 cup to pregnant and nursing dams, so
it's less than 1 cup of alfalfa pellets per girl. The alfalfa at this
rate of feeding is not in the least harmful to them, and does provide
necessary calories that pregnant dams need, in addition to calcium.
Alfalfa pellets aren't expensive, and it does prevent leaving alfalfa
stems strewn all over the feeding area. I see no advantage of alfalfa
hay over pellets when it comes down to it, and the pellets can be an
advantage as the alpacas do very much enjoy their pellets and you can
then top-dress as necessary.
I wold avoid sugars and starches in my alpacas' diets, though, as I
said previously. A perforated stomach ulcer is a terrible thing for an
alpaca to die from, and totally unnecessary and avoidable.
Heather
Heather Zeleny
White Lotus Alpacas
Creswell, OR
541.895.0964
Holistic Farm and Elite Fleece
http://www.whitelot
http://tech.
On Dec 20, 2008, at 6:45 AM, bluebirdhills@
> Hi Janice,
>
> Custom Milling has an excellent mineral, reasonable
> priced that the alpacas love. You can certainly manage your animals
> just fine with good pasture, good hay, and minerals. They don't
> really need pellets at all as long as the vitamins and especially
> minerals
> are available to them. I think I would avoid the alfalfa pellets and
> beet
> pulp and reroute myself and my money to just purchasing excellent
> quality
> hay instead For those that might need an extra nutritional boost, you
> could add the straight alfalfa hay, but you might want to chop it
> first
> for their prehensile lips seem to be able to grab only the leaves
> (candy
> to them).
>
> Laurel
>
> Bluebird Hills Farm
> Springfield, Ohio
> 937-206-3936
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posted by Chaddo at 10:31 AM
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