# Chaffhaye Questions



## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

First of all, and least importantly, how do you pronounce it? I went to the feed store and asked for "chaff hay" and the girl said are you talking about "shaf-ay-yee"? Anyway, it seems like the representative I spoke with pronounced it "chaff hay". No biggee either way except I don't want to sound like a dummy. LOL

Second and most importantly...is this going to do anything to help my goats' rumens or will it make them look all flat-sided? I bought a little to add in (slowly of course) just because hay has been scarce. I guess I am afraid this will not take the place of "real" roughage. This chaffhaye is much cheaper than buying grass hay and much less expensive than alfalfa hay. 

I have always just purchased my hay from the feedstore on a weekly basis since I don't have a good place to store it but that is really biting me on bum this year because of the cost.


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## PrairieTrail45 (Nov 28, 2011)

I've never fed Chaffhaye and don't really want to. I have heard it is good for animals to eat, but if you look at the ingredients it is also 50% water (at least the chaffhaye near me is). I was told by a feed store that it will mold easily once the bag is opened if it is not fed quickly due to the moisture content.

I'm not sure if what you are getting is the same as what is sold near me. The stuff I can get is basically the leaves of the alfalfa, lightly misted with molasses and compressed into a sealed bag.

I have always pronounced it "shaff-hay". It kind of like chaps are usually pronounced "shaps".


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

If it's the same stuff we gte up here, I know a lot of goat people who feed it. Usually they are horse people also so they have it anyway. Its hay that is harvested by silage equipment so the stems and such are in small peices. They wash it then dry it in a machine, and spray it with a light coat of molasses and oil and vacuum packed in a plastic bag like the bales shavings come in. It has no dust (for horses with allergy/heaves problems). Its' sort of semi moist cat food only made from grass. It will mold, but only if its humid outside, usually it just dries out. You can get alfalfa, timothy, orchard grass or a combo. Around here it's wicked expensive but it is good stuff.

However, it may not be the same as the chaffe hay, which I thought was pronounced chaff hay.


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## Bernice (Apr 2, 2009)

Here in Virginia there is a shortage of the stuff and the price has gone way up. We tried it once and didn't really like it, of course it was the hottest time of the year too. It molded on us quickly in the heat and the girls just weren't that keen on it anyways.


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

The rep I talked to at one of the shows called it chaff hay.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Thanks y'all! I will keep calling it chaff hay. LOL
Sully and Beth, this is the same stuff you're thinking of. It comes in different mixes or with just alfalfa. Cleaned and then misted with molasses for fermentation. The website says it prevents "hay belly" which made me worry about how their rumens would handle it. What is hay belly anyway? Isn't that a good thing?


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

Prevents hay belly? The boer folks may have some differing input on this but nothing brings me greater joy than a big healthy rumen. Unless they're referring to something else, but I've only heard the term hay belly used to describe a large rumen.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

That is what I was thinking.


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## PrairieTrail45 (Nov 28, 2011)

They are probably talking about horses. For some reason horse people don't like it when their horses have big round bellies.


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## prairie nights (Jan 16, 2009)

The company (quote from company headquarters) is sold out for the year (of alfalfa chaff haye) and all the steady dealers in our area are not able to get anymore until spring cuttings of alfalfa. The only folks in Ok who have any are folks who bought several pellets worth when the company first announced they will be selling while supplies last. The actual protein level is too low to truly replace alfalfa for goats (especially bred), you may be better off supplementing with 16% or 17% alfalfa pellets. Chaff-haye probably not the product to get into right now considering it is also running on shortage of alfalfa and the company cannot justify the cost of trucking it in. 

It is a fermented product, takes a while to get the herd adjusted to it. I know folks who feed it here successfully but have not fed it long enough to really see results or a kid crop successfully raised on it and then compare to rumen developments from roughage.


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

I know a breeder here who uses it & loves it.

For me though, I can get Standlee Alfalfa pellets cheaper & easier so thats what I use.


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## Qvrfullmidwife (Oct 25, 2007)

We have used it. The goats love it. We liked the fact that there was a lot less waste and for us it wasn't much of a price difference between it and alfalfa pellets which not all of the girls would eat. I also liked the fact that they were getting long stem fiber. Not the cheapest but then since when has having goats been inexpensive?!


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

LeeAnne, can goats be inexpensive??!! Is there a secret to it? lol

Last I looked it was cheaper here than bales of alfalfa hay, but I never got a chance to try it out because the local distributor stopped carrying it.


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

Hay belly is a horse term - kind of the equine equivalent of a beer belly. Belly fat caused from empty calories. You don't want a gut on a performance horse for a few reasons. If they are carrying a person, they don't need to be carrying around unnecessary fat too, and they can be hard to saddle up or even outgrow their equipment.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Yes, Crystal, the secret is to have unhealthy scrawny, sickly goats....oh wait...I guess that doesn't work either.


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

My goats really wouldn't eat it when I tried the alfalfa and then the grass type. They wasted a lot and only ate a little. It's horribly expensive around here. A few years back we had a hay shortage here and were spending up to $12 a bale (small square) for grass hay I had to have trucked in. I hope we never see prices like that again. Even the big rounds that normally sell for $40 were costing me a hundred dollars and the giant squares were $120! Ouch! Luckily we were at the old farm and actually had grass...now we have no grass and six horses plus the 11 goats...I pray we never see those prices again. thank God for the rain!


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Angie, thanks for the explanation of hay belly. 
For me, since I didn't get in on any good prices of hay early in the fall, the chaffhaye is a good price. I think it will do for now for the long stem roughage my goats have been lacking. 
Hoping for better natural forage next Spring......


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

For pronunciation, go here: http://howjsay.com/index.php?word=chaff&submit=Submit :biggrin

Make sure your speakers are turned on.


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## shawhee (Jun 28, 2008)

Michelle, how many bales do you go through a week (say 60-65lb bales) of hay?


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