# Chaffhaye



## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

After a very short trial when it was still available last year, we've just ordered a pallet which should arrive mid-May. I thought I'd share our experience with using it as our alfalfa source here, as I'm having a tough time finding many goat folks who feed it. The couple of farms I've run across since last year when we tried it have really been happy with the results. Although the moisture content is higher, lb for lb it's actually slightly cheaper per ton than the pellets we feed. It's more expensive than regular alfalfa hay by far, but I'm reticent to even run the numbers on that because I simply cannot store alfalfa hay here. Storing the Chaffhaye and guaranteeing no degradation of quality is not a problem.

If there are others who have experience feeding it, feel free to add to the conversation here! Although my record keeping in the past has been *ahem* less than perfect, I'm going to try to keep detailed information on this pallet (with my #s a pallet will last us at least 4 months) so I can see how it's working with our management and if the cost is justified. I will certainly share that info with those who are interested!


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

Would love to hear the info, especially on wastage. Do they clean it up as well as they do the pellets? I can't find alfalfa hay here, and when I have found it, it's not been cheaper at all, with the waste, than the pellets.


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## dreamfirefarm (Nov 15, 2011)

Ive used it a lot, and love it. Very little waste and came in handy in Texas as we have so much dry weather and hay shortages. problem here is nobody wants to feed it they dont have experience with it. It does grow some yeast cultures that look a lot like mold, but isnt. And the inexperienced automatically assume "mold". It does store well if you dont damage the environment in the bag , no holes or rips in the plastic and store itin a dry place. I have fed some that was bagged in 2006 and it was fine. It actually comes out a little better than bales because of the lack of waste. That being said takes a while for some goats or horses to get use to it, mine turned up their noses for the first few days and now they dive in and eat huge mouthfuls. My problem withusing it now is availability. No one her carries it and with fuel like itis I cant really afford to drive a long way. So I am not feeding it right now, but wish I could


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

I also used it last winter and had great results. The goats here loved it right from the beginning and ate every bit, no waste. The cost is really worth it since the times I have fed even nice alfalfa hay, there was just so much waste involved. I started feeding it because of my concern that the goats were getting no long fiber since there was no browse (drought) and they won't eat grass hay without huge amounts of waste. It worked for me! Now that there is so much forage for them, I am back to feeding alf pellets and browse but will feed chaffhaye for next winter I am sure.


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

During the short trial we did we had ZERO waste. There was not a morsel wasted. I love the smell, too. The yeast cultures Lynne described are supposed to be an excellent probiotic.


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

I wanted to add an update: we are 3 weeks in to our first pallet of Chaffhaye. So far I'm very pleased with it and the goats absolutely LOVE it. I have a doe whom I purchased after our short trial last Winter who'd never had it before. It was fun to see her try it for the first time, sort of nibbling suspiciously, then within a couple days diving in with huge mouthfuls making her look like a chipmunk.

Our herd's diet has always been alfalfa heavy, so I'm not necessarily seeing a difference in condition or production in the short term. I suspect I won't really get a sense of what it's going to do for us nutritionally until we're at least a couple months in. We haven't yet supplemented with yeast and don't give probiotics on a regular basis the way some do, so I'm very interested to see the results of daily yeast and probiotic supplementation. I like to keep things simple wherever possible, so I love the fact that these things can be provided consistently without adding anything extra- it's already in the bag! 

In the short term I'm happy with the zero-waste factor (same as the pellets), convenience of storage, and the palatability. Also, with the ease of transition. Whether or not the benefits make it truly cost effective (or worth the added expense) remains to be seen. But so far so good! I'll update again as we work through this first pallet.


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

Well, keep us updates. Not sure how much the chaffehay is out your way, but up here is about 15.00 a "bale". Does the stuff your feeding have molasses added? 

I have a friend who feeds it to her 2 pet Boerberhaslis and they do great on it. The only problem she has is the wether shivers almost constantly all winter long unless she adds regular hay to his diet. The doe does fine either way.


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

I know that unopened, it stores a long time.... But how long does it store after opening? How long does it take you to feed a "bale"? 

I know someone who uses it, but they feed 1 bale every 2 days so they couldn't answer the storage once opened question.... 

How do you feed it? Portioned out daily? Or the entire bale/bag in the feeder at once?


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

An opened bag will stay fresh for 7-10 days in our hot, humid climate. We're going through a bag and a half per week, no freshness issues here. It is stored inside our feed room, which is fully enclosed but is not climate controlled. 

The current price is $570/ton. Pricey, yes- but lb for lb it is the same price as our Standlee alfalfa pellets. That's not taking moisture into account, but it is higher in protein on a dry matter basis. I know there is someone out there thinking "sheesh, you can get a ton of alfalfa hay out of North Carolina for $300/ton plus delivery..." but I don't have a way to store it at present without losing it to mold before a month goes by. Perhaps at some point we will, but not yet. We're able to get alfalfa hay locally for $10-$15/bale, but we've just run into far too many quality and waste issues with alfalfa hay to really peg that price at face value. By the time I factor in waste and variable quality the actual cost is much higher. Not to mention the issues associated with an inconsistent supply. Ultimately, for us, it is not a question of Chaffhaye vs. dry hay, it is only a question of Chaffhaye vs. pellets. The hay option really isn't on the table.

All Chaffhaye is misted with a small amount molasses as part of the processing before it's bagged- but so were our pellets. As far as I know it is comparable.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Glad you are still having good results from it! And I am right there with you about not being able to store Alfalfa. Just not set up for it here.


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

Crystal- milkers have it available free choice, everyone else gets a measured amount.


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

I'm impressed that your chaffhaye stays good that long once opened. We fed it off and on for a couple of years but once we opened the bags, especially during the hot summer months, if we didn't feed all of it within 2-3 days it turned into a black, mushy mess that we would have to throw on the compost pile.


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

Ick! That hasn't been our experience yet and hopefully won't be in the future. Ours just tends to dry out a little wherever it's exposed to the air, but has not gone bad at all. I certainly will post if we start losing any to spoilage as Summer progresses.


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

The stuff we get up here is sprayed with a small amount of molasses and oil. I used to buy it for my mare who couldn't have hay. I had an opened bag left (she really didn't like it much) that got put in a trash can. I found it several months later, still smelled fine, though a little bit dry. It's amazing what will stay fresh in certain areas and what goes bad quickly. 

I found by accident that my goats like the alfalfa cubes (horse size) soaked in water with the beet pulp pellets. My late herd hated it. They also hated the chaffehay. Maybe this herd will like it, I might give it a try.

What do you feed it to them in? Buckets? Feeders?


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

Buckets at the moment. Our barn is still under construction, so once the latest addition is done we'll get permanent feeders in that can accommodate Chaffhaye or pellets. I tried soaked alfalfa cubes in the past and they did like it but I found it to be a huge PITA. At the time they were much cheaper than the pellets, but that's not the case any more here.


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

Soaking them is a major pita, but I soak the beet pulp pellets anyway, so throwing a few cubes in wasn't any big deal. If I soaked a days worth, oh, yeah, what a pain that would be!

We haven't been able to start haying yet this year and the hay is starting to look really bad. The goats are not eating much of it. I might try a bale of the bagged hay and see if they will eat it. My late herd wouldn't, but this herd eats stuff my late prima dona's wouldn't.


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

Wanted to add another update. We are 4 months in and are still very happy with the product. We made it through the Summer without any spoilage issues. It has been great for keeping everyone well conditioned, including our milkers. I've found that kids eat it exceptionally well and do so much earlier than alfalfa hay or pellets, even very young kids. At this point I wouldn't have any reservations in recommending it to folks who live in areas where (reasonably priced) good quality alfalfa hay is not readily available. I think it's a great product regardless of where you 
live, but it probably wouldn't be cost effective for those who have access to affordable alfalfa hay.


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## Cannon_farms (Nov 17, 2009)

Smith,
There is a guy in Dainelsville that is one of the first to grow GA Alfalfa, the square bales are about 65lbs the round rolls are 900. He test his hay and its 16-19% depending on the field. Round rolls are $160. The stalks are softer as well, my goats will eat them where other alfalfa just the leaves where ate.
I can also with a group get a load of peanut hay delivered, it was something we used to do before things went into the tank here.
Personally I feed good rye hay that has similar nutrient value as alfalfa with a dairy goat ration and mix alfalfa pellets in with it during milk season just because it makes me feel better.


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

Called Chaffhaye & chatted with Kimber.... She mailed me some free samples to see how the goats liked it before I bought any.

She told me for the first feeding to put it in a bucket, fluff it up a bit and let it air for about 20 minutes then let the goats have it....... Most of mine loved it.... A few took a while to try it.

By the time I opened the 3rd sample pack, they were diving into it without waiting for it to air a bit...

Ginger was moaning over it, she was just in heaven. lol

Local dealer is bringing me 6 bags tomorrow & I'm going to gradually switch to the Chaffhaye from my alfalfa pellets.

Chaffhaye is $12.50 per 50lbs.... My Standlee pellets were on sale for $10.49 per 40lbs, but our local TSC has decided to carry our Standlee in these huge, plastic wrapped, 1 ton cubes & will not be ordering more 40lb bags until they've had time to try out selling the 1 ton cubes  ....... 

TSC Manager said *IF* they do get another shipment of 40lb bag pellets, it won't be for at least 5-6 weeks, and then they'll likely be around $12.99 per 40lbs.

So I bought out the last 7 bags of Standlee they had left & will feed it 1/2 & 1/2 with my Chaffhaye.

My other alfalfa options are a very, very dusty 50lb of alfalfa pellets from Acco for $16.00 & my goats won't eat them..... Another feed store carries 50lb bags of alfalfa pellets for $15.29 but they are grey, smell weird & on the tag it list "animal fat".....

And of course, I can get 50-60lb bales of crummy alfalfa hay, with lots of brown & lots of big stems for $18.50 each....

So, Chaffhaye it is! Good thing most of mine readily took to it. 8)


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

That's great, Crystal! 

Dee-- I'll have to check him out. Can you pm me his number? It's a 3 1/2 hour drive so I'll have to factor gas and time into the pricing, but it might be viable over the winter to feed it if the quality is good. I won't buy alfalfa hay here in the warmer months. We just don't have the storage to keep it from spoiling. We've fed alfalfa hay on numerous occasions and if it's not overpriced then it's the exorbitant waste, or spoilage, or variable quality, etc. Chaffhaye is working really well for us.


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

I got a chance to try a couple of bags of chaffhaye this summer. It works out a bit cheaper for me in central va. than quality alfalfa pellets if I buy it by the six-pallet order. I can get crappy alfalfa pellets for less but the goats waste a lot of that. Alfalfa hay is wasted at about 50% of the bale. Not too bad if it wasn't so expensive and easier to find. 

I can get chaffhaye from a dealer a hundred miles from here for $14.50 a bale plus delivery. Bagged pellets here in town are $17+ for 50 pounds, Standlee are around $14.00 for 40 pounds. I really loved feeding the chaffhaye and if I can find 5 other people to each order 1 pallet, I will certainly switch to it.


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

Will they just ship you a single pallet? I called and asked about just getting a pallet sent to me & it would cost me a total of $18 more than buying the bags individually from my dealer & I can get just 1 pallet... My per bag price buying from the dealer is $12.50.... My shipped to me price per bag is $12.95... If I want to become a dealer though, I have a 6 pallet minimum order to start out with....

Of course, I'm in Texas, so maybe it's easier to do that here since Chaffhaye is made in Texas?

My Chaffhaye dealer is about 45+ minutes away, but he works in the town I grocery shop in, so he just met me today with my 6 bags. Saved me gas & time 

Fed the girls theirs today & they went crazy over it.... Licked the feeders clean 8)

The doelings (March kids & 1 May kid) keep staring at the feeders bewildered.... They love their alfalfa pellets so I guess it will be a lil while before I can convince them the new stuff is good.


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

I thought on the math a little bit while I was driving to work this morning. At first blush those round bales sound like a better deal, but I don't think it would be a better value (for us anyway). $160/900 lbs is $356/ton unless my math is off. Add in at minimum 30% waste, though like Anita said my experience is that it is much higher, and we're already at $463. Even without tacking on gas for transport, it's only about $100 less per ton than what I'm paying for Chaffhaye. When I consider the benefits of ease of storage, ease of feeding, no variation in quality, no spoilage, the higher rate at which the kids are eating it, zero waste, and so on, to me it is well worth the higher cost. I love the results I'm seeing. This is how we decided to go with Chaffhaye in the first place-- the price sounds like it's much higher but every time I ran the numbers it just isn't. Not for us anyway.

Crystal, here the minimum order for having it shipped is 6 pallets. I buy it by the pallet from a local distributor. There is a discount versus the per bag price.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Will you be feeding this as their only hay this winter?


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

Oh no, for me this won't be their only hay....

I got ten round bales that are 950-1000lbs each of a very weedy hay from my father in law.... No clue the protein/nutrient content, but it's mostly grasses & quite a bit of briars.... But it was FREE & it smells great...

So the goats have that free choice for roughage & the Chaffhaye is just going to replace my alfalfa pellets... At least for now. We're in the trial period...... Bought 6 bags to start out with & we'll see how it goes.


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

Oh ok Nicky.... Didn't know y'all couldn't order just individual pallets.

When I talked to Kimber, she mentioned someone coming through my area from Ft Worth & at the time they could have dropped off a pallet.... Dunno if that was just a "one time" type of offer since they were coming through or not.... Either way, I wasn't ready to commit to an entire pallet 

Found out our local Acco has a single pallet & they are selling it for $13.99 a bag..... Feed guy called me a traitor when he loaded up my meat goat pellets & saw my Chaffhaye..... Asked why I didn't buy it from them, but they weren't listed on the Chaffhaye dealers, nor is it on their board, so how was I suposed to know....... They said they just started carrying it, got it last month & have a partial pallet left because it's not selling well..... So I wonder if they were able to get just 1 pallet instead of 6?

Anywho..... Are you still feeding yours in buckets? Some of my alfalfa pellet feeders are too shallow to feed this well so I may need to come up with some other way to feed it..


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

No, Vicki- we feed coastal bermuda. It would be crazy expensive to feed it as a total hay replacement, plus my dry does would be unbelievably fat. It is our sole alfalfa source, so it has replaced the pellets.


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## dreamfirefarm (Nov 15, 2011)

I feed my chaffhaye in a regular hay feeder


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

As a total hay replacement, Lynne? Are yours on pasture?


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

What kind of hay feeder do you use Lynn?

My hay has been rounds wrapped in cattle panel, with alfalfa pellets in a long, narrow feeder.... The Chaffhaye doesn't go well in either of those, but it worked well today in my hook over buckets... Need to come up with something else though so I can put more out at once.... I'm thinking something like a keyhole feeder...


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## Cannon_farms (Nov 17, 2009)

I didnt know what part of N. Ga you where in, i guess with that far you are in the Rome vicinity . Im very concerned my very picky goats will not eat it and I would be stuck with 440 bags of something they would not eat, this was my quote

The minimum order quantity for our 2012 direct ship is 6 pallets (240 bags). There are 40 - 50# bags of alfalfa per pallet. 

Price: $ 12.75 per bag

Plus a $ 50.00 delivery charge. 


1/2 Truck Load (440 bags)

Price: $ 12.50 per bag

Plus a $ 50.00 delivery charge. 

so, $3050 isnt happening here. thats a year and halfs worth of alfalfa round rolls, the waste stinks but isnt that bad. Wish they had a dealer where you could buy it in smaller batches.


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## Jo~* (Oct 26, 2007)

What is Chaffhaye? Is it like alfalfa meal?


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

Jo~* said:


> What is Chaffhaye? Is it like alfalfa meal?


It's a chopped alfalfa.... More info here:
http://www.chaffhaye.com/how-chaffhaye-produced

Took pictures of a yeast colony I found in my bag.... It's a yogurt type consistency, very smooth & even taste kinda yogurty (What can I say? Curiosity got the best of me, and my 9 year old dared me to taste it, so I did)..... The goats went crazy over it after trying a lil bit  Thought the yeast would smell weird, but it actually smells good...

Yeast colony in Chaffhaye on right, no yeast on left:









Bucket of Chaffhaye with a section of yeast colonies I pulled out on top... Was surprised at how many longer pieces are in there.... Stems from 5"-10" long, it's very soft, but not soggy & the goats clean up every bit of it:










I called the office & chatted with Kimber about it.... Was leary of buying a bag, then having my goats turn their noses up at it, so she sent me a package full of these lil sample bags, along with some tips on offering it to picky eaters for the first time.....

A few of the 1 1/2lb free sample packs they sent me:


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

I buy it one pallet (one ton) at a time, from a distributor. No delivery charge. Great pictures Crystal! I think all goats are picky, but I've never had one that didn't love it. Some of them take a couple days to convince, but as soon as they get serious about tasting it they are hooked. 6 pallets is a sizable investment-- do you not have a distributor in your area?


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## Jo~* (Oct 26, 2007)

Thank Crystal. 
I have never seen that.


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## dreamfirefarm (Nov 15, 2011)

The hay feeder ihave is wire 4x4 panels welded in a frame to form a V and the bottom is a 55 gal plastic barrel cut longwise to catch the crumbs. My goats also have around bale of grass mixed hay with weeds 24 hrs and get grain at night I have so much problem with birds getting in their feed if I feed in the morning. The chaff hay is feed 1 bucket (6 gal) in the morning and at night after their grain and I have a total of 10 does in the pen.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Joann-I don't think they sell it around here (or there, in n. CA), because we can get good alfalfa hay. I think it is mostly sold in areas where they can't grow good alfalfa.


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## icboers (Feb 1, 2009)

They sell it in areas that do raise good alfalfa. We bought it when we lived in Colorado. 

Karla


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Okay, I guess I was wrong, so there you go. I've just never seen it here, either, so that's what I assumed. We all know what happens when we ASSume...


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

I think you can buy it pretty much anywhere but if you have access to good quality, low-priced alfalfa and you either have good storage or a reliable source year round then that may be the better option. Basically for anyone that feeds pellets this is an alternative.


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## milkmaidranch (Jun 21, 2010)

I used it for 2 years without a problem and loved it. Then last winter they didn't have a supply and couldn't get it any place for months. The price then was $10.45 per bag/50lbs. I did save the last 2 bags for when a doe needed it and when I opened one up it was TOTAL MOLD this was only 4 months after buying it. I was not happy. It is now back at the feed store but $13 per bag. I just won't pay that price as I would be feeding a bag per day plus grain. A very good product but there is a cutting off place and they hit that when the price jumped.


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

My rep will replace any bags that are bad. Last Winter the shortage was due to the hay vortex in Texas. We couldn't get it here either from November until the first cutting this Spring. My rep assures me that extenuating circumstances notwithstanding there won't be an issue this Winter. I'm stocking up anyway just in case!

Bummer about the price hike Suzy. This certainly has been the year for soaring prices.


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## milkmaidranch (Jun 21, 2010)

When I watched the video on their web-site it talked about alfafla coming from Arizona. That was 2 years ago though. I do love the product and it even helps the kids when it comes to developing their cud. I also have Irish Dexter cattle and had a heifer that was bottle fed. She had a very hard time getting her cud to develop right, choked every time and I had to reach down and get it before she died. Put her on the Chaffhaye and within a few days she was fine. Older horses do very well on it too and the shine on my doe's was amazing. I may have to bite the bullet so to speak and get a few bags a week and stock up again. The milk was the best when I fed it and the lack of waste, well, that does speak for itself.


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

Holy smokes! When I started feeding Chaffhaye it was slightly more expensive than pellets- just slightly. Well yesterday I just happened to see the price on el cheapo TSC brand alfalfa pellets... $19.25 per bag!!! That is absolutely unbelievable. I used to feed Standlee pellets and they were always slightly more expensive (but I found them to be better quality.) I didn't look at the price on them, but I can't imagine it's far off. This makes Chaffhaye far less expensive at this point! Anyone paying prices like that for pellets should consider looking into Chaffhaye.


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## Qadosh Adamah Lamanchas (Nov 2, 2012)

Is there a way to locate local distributors of Chaffhaye?


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

On their website they have a list of distributors.


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## Qadosh Adamah Lamanchas (Nov 2, 2012)

Thank you, Nicki! My closest distributor is 5 1/2 hours roundtrip :sigh

Has anyone been able to talk their local feed mill into carrying it?


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## Sans Gene Goats (May 15, 2011)

smithurmonds said:


> Holy smokes! When I started feeding Chaffhaye it was slightly more expensive than pellets- just slightly. Well yesterday I just happened to see the price on el cheapo TSC brand alfalfa pellets... $19.25 per bag!!! That is absolutely unbelievable. I used to feed Standlee pellets and they were always slightly more expensive (but I found them to be better quality.) I didn't look at the price on them, but I can't imagine it's far off. This makes Chaffhaye far less expensive at this point! Anyone paying prices like that for pellets should consider looking into Chaffhaye.


$19.25 !! OUCH!! I will stop complaining about $13 for a 50# bag here then!

I've been feeding Chaffhaye for about 2 months now. It's about the same cost-wise as alfalfa hay to purchase, but easier to store, no loss to mildew/mold from damp winters, and almost no waste feeding. So some savings there for me over the long run.


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

That has been my experience as well, Dixie. It has saved us money in the long run and is loads easier to store. A friend who lives locally said she is still getting her Standlee pellets for $14/bag (40 lb bag.) Still more expensive than what I'm paying, but certainly more affordable than $19/bag.


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

Yikes!! Cheapo TSC, dusty alfalfa pellets are $16.00 here for 50lbs.... Standlee is $12.99 for 40lbs...

I pay $12.50 per 50lb of Chaffhaye from my dealer.... Just got 30 bags, and my price is locked in for the year.

Still VERY happy with it, and everyone is looking fabulous


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

$12.50 is a good price!


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

smithurmonds said:


> $12.50 is a good price!


I'm in west Texas, so the Chaffhaye doesn't travel horribly far... My dealer pays $11.25 per bale after frieght I believe, and he doesn't price gouge customers.... He buys in bulk because he uses it for his horses and cows, then sells on the side too. The feed store here that carries it sells for $14 per bag.

After I move to east Texas, I'll be paying $12.75 from the feed store in my area, or I can get it for $12.50 if I go to the metroplex to buy.... Either way, still cheaper than pellets


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## milkmaidranch (Jun 21, 2010)

I sold a Dexter heifer 2 weeks ago and with the $ bought 2.5 tons of Chaffhaye at $10.95 per bag. This doesn't happen too often so I took the oppertunity to get it. I use a bag every other day so it should get me to June 16. With the 10 doe's and 2 bucks that are 4 sale, it may last longer. I can't believe what the prices are going to. Soon having livestock will be for the rich only again. You know what I mean, the BIG producers.


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## Qadosh Adamah Lamanchas (Nov 2, 2012)

I found out why Chaffhaye isn't sold near me. I guess here in Ohio, it's illegal for the feed stores to sell it. Ugh. I suppose this is why I have to go to Pittsburgh to get it.


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

That's great, Suzy! Adrienne- I don't buy from a feed store, just from my distributor. I've never seen it in feed stores here. It's a bummer you don't have a sales rep closer!


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

Why on earth would it be illegal for a feed store to sell it? How strange 

Feed stores around here over the years have become dealers for a while then would stop because not many people use it. Everytime the feed stores had it, they were higher than just the individuals who became dealers...

Suzy, that's an awesome price!!


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## Qadosh Adamah Lamanchas (Nov 2, 2012)

Eh, legalities... I think there's some sort of law that it needs to be bagged within the state if it's silage. Not sure of the specifics, but it's along those lines.


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## Sans Gene Goats (May 15, 2011)

lonestrchic23 said:


> Feed stores around here over the years have become dealers for a while then would stop because not many people use it. Everytime the feed stores had it, they were higher than just the individuals who became dealers...
> 
> Suzy, that's an awesome price!!


My local feed store stopped for that reason too, so have to get it from a feed store about an hour or so away. I don't buy enough at a time for the local store to carry it.

And way to go Suzy!


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## milkmaidranch (Jun 21, 2010)

The feed stores around here do carry it but not all of them. Where I am in Texas one store carried it and it was the only one for the first year I bought it. A new store opened up and I told them about it and I would get it from them only if they got it. The problem is they have to buy 6 tons to get a delivery. Last year they were selling so much of it I had to call ahead to make sure there was some for me when I went to the store. I would buy 20 bags at a time and the price then was $10.95. Now, they have to buy the 6 tons every time they order and that was not the case last winter. Of course, Chaffhaye didn't produce it from mid Feb to almost May of this year and that's when it all changed. If I buy one bag now it's $12.95. I did some dealing to get the price I got for the 2.5 tons. 

Oh, Chaffhaye is not silage, but haylage. I'd love to become a dealer but getting the $ for 6 tons is the issue for me.


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

No one locally carried it up here only someone way south. Certainly not price effective to travel that far. Now one of the local goat farms is going to be a dealer!!!!!!!!! They are only about 30 miles away or so, so I can get a months worth at a time. I'm excited to be able to try it. It should save me money on alfalfa pellets and cutting back on the grass hay. I am so excited. Now, hopefully the goats will be too.


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

That's awesome, Sully!


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## milkmaidranch (Jun 21, 2010)

Sully, some of the goats will take right to it, some won't. Give them time. I put the Chaffhaye out, then put their grain ration on top.


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## LLB101 (Sep 29, 2009)

lonestrchic23 said:


> Took pictures of a yeast colony I found in my bag.... It's a yogurt type consistency, very smooth & even taste kinda yogurty (What can I say? Curiosity got the best of me, and my 9 year old dared me to taste it, so I did)..... The goats went crazy over it after trying a lil bit  Thought the yeast would smell weird, but it actually smells good...


I would be so freaked out to find that! I would think it looks "bad" like mold. How did you know it was ok? I've wanted to try it, but then stuff like this freaks me out LOL


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

LLB101 said:


> lonestrchic23 said:
> 
> 
> > Took pictures of a yeast colony I found in my bag.... It's a yogurt type consistency, very smooth & even taste kinda yogurty (What can I say? Curiosity got the best of me, and my 9 year old dared me to taste it, so I did)..... The goats went crazy over it after trying a lil bit  Thought the yeast would smell weird, but it actually smells good...
> ...


ROFL!! Dude, my 9 year old DOUBLE DOG DARED me! 8) Do you realize how many knotches of cool momness I would have lost if I chickened out??!!

Seriously though, I knew that the yeast cultures could be found in large colonies on occasion so I had been hunting for one. I read about them on Chaffhaye's website, but I'm a visual person so I wanted to SEE them.... That's why when I found a big, thick enough patch, I had to take pictures and share....

The yeast colony pictured in my blog (the one I tasted) happened to be a VERY large colony, which is why it got its picture snapped. To date I have only found easily visible colonies in 4 bags...& 2 of those bags just had a few nickle sized colonies.

Wasn't scared to try it because I knew what it was.... It doesn't smell moldy at all.... Just yeasty/yogurty/alfalfay  All but one of the goats LOVE them (the one who doesn't eats them just fine as long as they are broke up).... So they get a probiotic and good yeast right along with their alfalfa... When I come across them, I break them up to share between everyone and they act like it's a treat


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

They send a flyer with pics explaining about the yeast in their brochure which includes pictures. I think this freaks people out more than anything else because actual moldy feed is such a no-no! If I wasn't forewarned I'd have been on the phone to my rep. 

We don't find them in every bag, but when we do it is very obvious it is not just mold. It looks different and smells good. Not quite like a sourdough starter, but sweeter and very mild. I haven't had a bag spoil yet, but my rep has told me that there is no missing it when you have a bad bag. She had rodents chew into a bag while it was in storage and she said it smelled like wet garbage when she opened it- she said there will be no question if you encounter spoilage. Normally the product smells so good that I think detecting something amiss would be relatively easy. I do smell each bag when I open it. Like Crystal, when I come across a yeast colony I just break it up between the bucks, does, and our pet pig (who has been thriving on Chaffhaye). They love it!

What's your alfalfa situation up there, Lacia? This has proven to be really cost effective for me, but may not be for those who live in areas where alfalfa hay is still affordable. I am a Washington native, but I didn't own livestock when I lived there.


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## milkmaidranch (Jun 21, 2010)

LLB, I've been feeding Chaffhaye for over 2 years now and believe me, if it wern't for those yeasty patches in it, I'd have a dead Dexter heifer now. Tiffany had a very hard time developing her cud as a calf. Several times I had to put my hand down her throat and pull it out, talk about nasty!!!!! This is when I started feeding Chaffhaye, was told about the white patches of yeast being good for adding the right culture to get the rumen going. Well, it only took days and she's never had a problem. I feed it to everything, doe's, bucks, cows and the horses. For an older animal, it's wonderful as it's easy for them to digest.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I could tell the difference (yeast vs mold) with my nose, it is pretty obvious when something is moldy to an asthmatic. Vicki


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

Wow, you've got that right, Vicki!

Mine love Dengie, so I'm sure they will more than love the Chaffhaye. I can't wait til the delivery comes!


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