I had asked a question of Deborah in another thread (Consistant Bloating) about "hay belly" the conversation is listed below -
Deb, may I ask, if the "hay belly" is caused from worms and/or poor quality hay and you deworm and provide a higher quality hay how soon would you possibly see the hay belly go away? Just curious :)
Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:
With worms, you usually see improvement within a few days to a week after a successful deworming. When I was thinking of switching to Chaffhaye because of our drought (no pasture and couldn't find hay), I was talking to others who use it, and they said their goats that would get hay belly on pasture or hay no longer got it after a week or two of switching to the Chaffhaye. So, unless you just have a goat that really likes to stuff herself, you would see a change fairly quickly.
I'm seeing some hay belly here as well on a few of my 5 month old kids. We were on some less than quality hay for a while to get buy until we recently found a local supplier that has great hay, it's his main cash crop and has been in business for years. We are pleased to finally find some hay that is made right, and have a good supply for winter.
But I have to admit I like the sound of this Chaffhaye. Here is their website, they are out of Texas, and there are dealers all over the USA. www.chaffhaye.com
Here is also a website and blog of a gal that raises Nigerians and has used Chaffhaye for over a year and her experience with it. She is very pleased with the results of using Chaffhaye.
http://nigerianmeadows.wordpress.com/tag/chaffhaye/
I may check into this hay in the future, I do like the results that I'm reading. But I do have some concerns with it being alfalfa. Will it cause too much weight gain, or too much calcium for bucks and wethers, leading to urinary stones? Will it bind up the copper in the goats system? Also according to the website, it is sprayed with molasses.
Does anyone else use this hay and could share the pros and cons about it? Thank-you
Replies
After doing some reading about Chaffhaye, I'm also interested in hearing more from people who have used it. There is a feed store in Mulino, Oregon, that sells it making a source within 50 miles. It sounds like a good product but user experience is the most valuable information for a prudent decision.
I did get some timothy pellets to mix with the alfalfa but since there are always pellets left and my girls go nuts when I add some to the bucket, I'm athinkin' they don't like the timothy. Since here the timothy is more expensive ($2 per bag), it doesn't make sense to use it but rather cut back on the alfalfa (or rather not increase it) if they seem to be getting tubby. It's hard to tell with my gobbler goats if they are really hungry or just wanting treats - they go absolutely crazy for their apple treats at bedtime (or any time for that matter!). One example is I put fresh kelp in yesterday with all three of them eating from each feeder, the kelp, the minerals, and the baking soda like all three had just been put there. Silly goats.
I have started using it, and I had a doe kid about three weeks after I started. She had two kids -- one at 4 pounds, 1 ounce, and one at 3 pounds, 14 ounces! She is only 19 inches, so it was not an easy delivery for her. One was head only, and it was the first time we have ever had to reach in and grab a leg to pull out the kid. Usually head-only kids are delivered just fine by mom here, but our average kid size is under 3 pounds. So, I am a little worried about kidding season this year and am thinking of adding some timothy hay pellets, which are only 8% protein. Because of the drought, we have no grass and no grass hay, so my options are limited. :(
Not sure about the long-term effect on my bucks. I am more concerned about a possible zinc deficiency because of excess calcium, so I have switched them to the timothy hay pellets. A couple years ago when I could buy only alfalfa hay, I did have a couple bucks develop zinc deficiency.
The molasses is not a big deal. It adds up to 1-2 tablespoons per bag. It is only enough to get fermentation started.
Would LOVE to hear others experiences too!