Re: [AlpacaTalk] vitamins for alpacas
We use beet pulp in the winter, however we use plain pulp as opposed to molasses added.
We find the pulp aides in digestion particularly when hot water is added to make a nice, warm, morning meal. We find this "mash" helps to prevent possible impaction, which can occur should animals back off water in the winter.
We don't feed them much grain/ pulp during the winter, and we feed no additional feed stuffs once they're on pasture in the early spring.
Works outs beautifully.
Dede Crout
Dragonfly Alpacas LLC
Marydel, MD
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
I agree, they do not need grain at all, and moving to alfalfa is a good choice. We haven't tried chopped alfalfa, but we do supplement with dairy alfalfa hay or sometimes alfalfa pellets. They are a larger size pellet than our alpaca pellet, so we find it's necessary to soften them with a bit of water overnight so they have an easier time eating them. Many people do use beet pulp as a supplement, but it is high in sugar, which acts similar to starch in the gut and raises the acidity, increasing the risk of ulcer, and death from perforated ulcer. If you are using the beet pulp for added energy in cold months, consider using flax seed or rice bran instead.
I would like to revisit a topic we have discussed here before - feeding
grain/pellets.
I am wanting to get my pacas off purchased pellets. I am not in a
position to use a custom mill or any other expensive option. I need
to accomplish 2 things - to cut my expenses drastically and to keep my
alpacas healthy, which knock on wood and thank heavens they have been
now for a long time.
I do not think they need grain and that it is not a natural food for
them. I have long done it mainly to keep them "trained" to come to the
barn or catch pen when I want them to.
What I am wanting to do is just start giving them a handful of chopped
alfalfa as a treat instead of their pellets. I've tried alfalfa chunks
in the past but they did not go over too well. Now my Tractor Supply
is carrying a chopped alfalfa bale that would be easy to feed in their
feeding trays. And I could still topdress with the beet pulp I give
them and use as the carrier for the minerals and DE when I use it (tho I
have stopped using it in their feed).
They have free choice Bermuda hay; and I have been using the sheep
minerals (used to use Dr Evans but can no longer afford so switched to
the sheep minerals from Tractor Supply this past year per a discussion
on list here).
What I am concerned about is the vitamins that the pelleted feed is
fortified with and how will I make sure they are getting the proper
vitamins if I stop using this commercial feed?
Thanks! Janice
posted by Chaddo at 7:05 AM
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