# Beet pulp



## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

I've been told that beet pulp will help increase milk production. I've decided to add it to my girls' diet since we have a show coming up at the end of the month. Around here, folks soak it in water before feeding because it can supposedly swell and suffocate or bloat a goat. I've read on this forum that there are folks who feed it without soaking it. My friend says that perhaps some of you are feeding beet pulp that is not in pellet form. The stuff around here is pellets and they really do increase in bulk after soaking. So, I soaked some and the goats have decided they don't like them and I have to sneak them into their grain. How do you folks get your goats to eat the stuff? Kathie


----------



## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

I know nothing abt the pelleted beet pulp I use the dry (flaked?) and yes with horses or single stomach animals you have to soak it but not goats I mix mine in with their grain and they love the stuff. My goats wouldn't touch anything that is wet.


----------



## LMonty (Oct 25, 2007)

I feed it dry too.


----------



## paulaswrld (Mar 2, 2008)

I feed dry beet pulp daily, I actually put together 15 lbs alfalfa pellets, 6 cups beet pulp and 2 cups calf manna, mix it up and fill the grain feeders with it in the morning. My girls love it and really loo good. I have been doing this for a 3 weeks now. This is for 6 milkers, one yearling and 11 babies. The girls LOVE the dried beet pulp, I tried it wet and they wanted NOTHING to do with it. No problems with bloat at all.

Paula


----------



## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

They must make it differently in the south. I've never seen anything but pellets at the feed stores in Montana. I put some of my wet stuff in the sun to dry today and wound up with a couple cups of flaked stuff which I mixed with their evening grain. I can't imagine doing that every day unless I get some big trays to dry it on. I hesitate to feed the pellets dry. Kathie


----------



## Nancy (Oct 25, 2007)

We feed ours wet. Ours is the shredded kind and the girls actually increase their water consumption by eating it wet. Even the kids like it. We feed it in a big tub so we have some that put their heads all the way to the bottom through all the water. We call them our diving goats. They know to get to the beet pulp they must also consume the water to get to it. It ends up kinda like goat oatmeal. LOL


----------



## Jo~* (Oct 26, 2007)

goatkid said:


> They must make it differently in the south. I've never seen anything but pellets at the feed stores in Montana. I put some of my wet stuff in the sun to dry today and wound up with a couple cups of flaked stuff which I mixed with their evening grain. I can't imagine doing that every day unless I get some big trays to dry it on. I hesitate to feed the pellets dry. Kathie


I have never fed beet pulp but my friend feeds it to her horses and it comes in pellets here to.


----------



## Guest (Jul 14, 2008)

I feed it dry in the summer, wet in hot water in the winter... they love it both ways... Goats will sometimes shun new foods until they try them.. Get one to eat it and usually the rest will follow.. 
Barbara


----------



## Guest (Jul 14, 2008)

Sondra got me on the beet pulp "thing" back in the spring, and so far I am well pleased with what I see. I add a half bag of dry shredded beet pulp to my grain mix. 
My mix is 100 lbs clean oats/ 25 lbs beet pulp/ 25 lbs black sunflower seed/ ----- I feed this mix at about 2 cups of mix to 1 cup of alfalfa pellets , and of course I feed some Bermuda grass hay year around....and there is also some browse. 
My doe's have stayed in good sweet tasting milk.....have kept in pretty good flesh while milking.....and the biggy for me is that their hair coat looks like it has been greased.
I really don't know how much credit to give the beet pulp with this program......but I like what I see, so am gonna stick with it for a while.


Whim


----------



## Sharpgoat (Feb 7, 2008)

I would not be afraid of the pellets just feed less you know they swell up a lot.
I feed shreds and there is pellets in the shreds time to time and some of my goats think they are rocks and wont eat them. 
I have one doe that wont eat her grain unless there is beet pulp in it and she well eat the pellets.
Fran


----------



## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

I have fed shredded beat pulp to my goats and horses for a few years. I never feed it wet. Too much of a hassle and every one is still alive and doing well. There are alot of people that feed beat pulp to their horses dry and never had a problem. (Shredded, not the pellets.) I can get both pellets and shredded here. My goats wont eat anything that is wet. Lol.


----------



## shawhee (Jun 28, 2008)

On the shredded - do you get it plain? The only ones I have seen here have had molassis in it.

Shawna


----------



## Guest (Jul 15, 2008)

I feed the one with molasses. Thats the only kind I can ever find around here. :shrug2


----------



## paulaswrld (Mar 2, 2008)

Mine has molasses in it.

P


----------



## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

Mine also has molasses. Do they make one that doesnt?


----------



## SherrieC (Oct 26, 2007)

I wish they did Have unmolasses kind. We have both shredded and pelleted here, I've never tried the pelleted. hmm Bonnie Boots will Trample anyone that gets between her and her "Candy"


----------



## Guest (Jul 16, 2008)

I may be wrong about this, but I think the molasses content is so small in this stuff that it just doesn't matter.
I keep in mind that beet pulp around here is mostly marketed to these horse people, and lots of them believe that everything should be covered in molasses. In otherwords, if it list molasses...they will buy it. Keep in mind that if the whole bag of it has one drop of molasses in it, then they can list it as an ingredient. Just because it is shown in big print on the bag, it doesn't always mean that is in in big amounts inside the bag.

Whim


----------



## shawhee (Jun 28, 2008)

Ok that is good to know. Yes they have it without molassis in it, but I have to order it and it is not worth it to try to go through it with the guy at the feed store. When I worked on foundered and IR / Cushings horses, I would have to get beet pulp with no molassis. Or take the regular and soak and rinse soak and rinse - to remove excess sugars in it. Anyway that is good to know that I can use it just as it comes here normally. My current mix is oats, barley, and boss - but maybe I will add that too.

Shawna


----------



## D Bar J Acres (Nov 5, 2007)

I'm in Wisconsin and I can order un-mollassesed (is that a word? LOL) beet pulp from one mill. It's a smaller shred, whereas the kind most places stock around here in the big brown bag can have some pretty big shreds in it, these are smaller, more like oatmeal (not the fine quick cooking oatmeal tho).

I got 4 bags of beet pulp for free from someone 2 months ago and I've been feeding that to the two meat wethers (mini manchas) and they are VERY growthy, well filled out and just nice looking animals. Also had a doeling in there until a week ago as she finally lost her psycho attitude and I put her back in the doeling pen. She's bigger and sleeker than her sister who's a fine lookin' gal to begin with. They are getting limited alfalfa hay and I'm mixing 1/2 beet pulp to 1/2 14% horse sweet feed and feeding 2 lbs to each daily (not overly concerned about long term health, just experimenting on growth). Makes for fast growing, good looking wethers! I feed dry as well.


----------



## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

Miracle decided that she likes the wet beet pulp, so now that she's eating it, some of the others will come to the bowl as well. Tonite, hubby helped milk amd asked me if I forgot to milk one of the girls this morning. I know I did, so the beet pulp must be doing it's job. Kathie


----------



## Little Moon (Dec 29, 2007)

I feed shredded beet pulp (with molasses) but I'm with Whim - it really doesn't seem all that sugary. I can scoop out a handful to feel and never have a sticky residue. I think the beets are fairly sweet to begin with and the molasses just keeps the dust down. I have never watered it down, just feed it out of hand or mixed in with the grain.

As far as an influence on milk taste my guess would be that it makes it sweeter??? Anyone know for sure???

Anne


----------



## LMonty (Oct 25, 2007)

the pulp is whats left after the raw sugar is extracted. so most of the simple sugars originally in the beet are gone. I dont think it makes any difference at all in milk taste.


----------



## Carolyn (Oct 27, 2007)

Would the sugar beets do the same job as the beet pulp? I used to be able to get dried beet pulp for $110/ton from the beet plant until they started shipping it out to be bagged . I can get sugar beets all over the place and the goats I had years ago loved them---would it be the same? I know in moderation-- Carolyn


----------

