Key to Sheep and Goat Nutrition Most Don't Know: EASIER and CHEAPER Than You Think! 

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That is correct. Thiamine is the cause/cure for goat polio. If I said B12 instead of B1, I misspoke.

We feed green alfalfa all the year and little grains can it work for goats because temperature here remains high almost all the year except two months of winter

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Hello, Curt! Thanks for taking the time to leave a message. That’s great! We wish more people would try utilizing baking soda. It really makes a big difference.

Yeah. Just put it out and leave it out. They won’t eat a lot/it will last a very long time.

We offer it free choice and they seem to know when they need it.

It does. If I said otherwise, I misspoke. Thanks!

Only if you don’t have access to forage or if the forage is really bad quality during the winter months.

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HuFMLV3Ja9Y.html

Hello and thank you for watching our videos! We are very excited you are watching our videos all the way in Indonesia! Water is always required although you will find they drink less when the feed already contains water. We appreciate your concern for them making a mess with the water. Try to place their water in a way that prevents them from stepping in it. Perhaps something tall that they are just able to drink out of?

@@LinessaFarms Thanks for your kind reply. I have subscribed your channel and will thumbs up all your videos. Your explanation is very clear and your way explaining just like explaining to toddler. It is easy to digest. 🙏. Thanks once again.

We are very glad to hear this. Thank you for watching and thank you for taking the time to leave a kind message. We are glad we were able to help you out.

Hello, Tim. pH plays a huge role in the microorganisms that live and work in the animals gut. This can effect uptake and production of various vitamins and nutrients, specifically vitamin B.

Grass hay or grass hay mixed with some type of legume such as alfalfa, clover, or bird foot trefoil should work well for almost any operation.

This is a complicated question. Many factors contribute to milk production with genetics being the most prevalent. Diet/protein consumption has a lot to do with it as well. We will work on a video addressing this. 👍🏻

@@LinessaFarms thank you so much.

The simplest way to deal with baking soda is to place it in a dish near their water and allow them to consume what they desire. They will eat it as needed. Ideally, you can find out an approximate amount they consume in a day and leave that amount out for them. Adding it to feed or water is not a good idea overall because they are then not able to regulate the amount they need. Hopefully this makes sense. Thank you for watching and for leaving us a message!

@@LinessaFarms I take note on that, thank you so much, for your time and effort to reply.

Probably not. As long as the food it’s getting has enough nutrition, you are fine.

Acidosis is difficult to diagnose without a blood test. An oral drench of baking soda in water can be helpful along with a change in diet depending on the underlying cause. If we had an animal overeat, we would consider an oral drench of baking soda in water.

Hello. You can and we have heard of people doing this. I have not seen evidence showing this is helpful. I suppose if the animals are eating hay and you are supplementing them with grain as well, there may be a case for it. But, the short answer is yes, you can.

@@LinessaFarms Thank you very much for your answer.^_____^ Sir

Hello and thanks for watching our videos and thanks for the questions. We kicked this one to Tim for an answer… Hello! Lespedeza has been around for a long time but has really gained popularity since the early 2000’s. You don’t hear a whole lot about it in the northern United States and I would venture to say most of our viewers have either never heard of it or they regard it as a weed. It has lots of potential benefits BUT there is not a lot of scientific evidence to back up many of the claims individuals trying to sell it may purport. The main claims you will hear is that it is a natural wormer, doesn’t produce bloat, and goats love it. I tend to agree that all of these statements are true to a point but like most people attempting to sell a product, they may be a little overstated. Evidence shows and has shown that tannins help to control (reduce, and assist but not eliminate) some forms of gastrointestinal worms. Lespedeza has lots of tannins and it does in fact show these qualities. With this being said, if you have a flock prone to worms, it will probably help. On the downside, it should not be used as a primary source of worm prevention and has no effect on certain parasites such as lice, keds, bots, tape worms, etc… if it’s barbers pole worms your after, it will have a strong effect. Second is the tannin problem people tend not to mention and it is this: Tannins have a VERY negative impact on protein digestion and can hinder digestion by almost 40%. This is a HUGE issue that can hurt your animal growth, feed conversion ratio, and milk production. For our money, we avoid high tannin foods for this reason. I can more easily find effective ways to worm that will not destroy my feed quality. Lastly, we don’t worry too much about what our goats love to eat. As a matter of fact, we would rather have them eat something they like ok but would rather not overeat. This just makes life easier for us in general. Regarding the baking soda, it has other beneficial qualities and should have no long term effects on the metabolic process of acid/alkaline regulation. While it may make the rumen pH increase in the short run, your animals will chew cud like they always have. This is to say, if you feed baking soda for long periods of time and then take it away, the pH won’t bottom out or anything like that. Hope this all helps and thanks again. Tim

@@LinessaFarms Thank you for the detailed and informative response! That all makes sense. I'm learning a lot from your videos.

Thank you.

This is a sad story. There is a special rung in hell for people that abuse animals. So…. A couple things. The lining of her intestines and stomach may be damaged for multiple reasons. She may have not been fed properly and her rumen got too hot/acidic. She may have had a bad coccidia infection which damaged the lining. She may have had a bad worm load which damaged the lining…. All of these will cause malabsorption issues for life. This will mean she will need more nutrition as the nutrition you give her isn’t going to be absorbed. I would like to see you add a little molasses to her water to see if this will help her drink more. Blue Lite is another additive which should help. I think you are going about things the right way, it’s just going to take time. She unfortunately may never be right. I would also consider vitamin injections for the short term such as vitamin B. This would best be done under the supervision of your vet since she is in a delicate state. Thanks for messaging us and thank you for supporting our channel.

I think (I may be wrong) He’s saying that they need it supplemented.

We’ve seen people give it in the first day of life. You can easily start giving it as soon as needed.

Hello. You can put out baking soda and leave it out all the time. They will only eat what they need. There is no need to worry about them taking too much. Try to get a container they cannot poop in that will stay dry.

idl-bnc-idrc.dspacedirect.org/handle/10625/51397 Ipil ipil has a good track record of adding weight when incorporated into goat feed up to about 40%. Madre de cacao has been well used too with good results. We don’t have these plants here but we have many friends in Central America who utilize this when grazing is down due to dry weather.

Hello. I know your cost of hay is ridiculous there. I don’t want you to think of hay as a nutritional feed in your case think of it more as a necessity for the rumen. In this case you can feed as small of an amount as a small fist full of any kind of grass, vegetation, oat straw, etc… I know a lot of the cows on the islands are known for eating torpedo/wainaku grass. I don’t know if sheep or goats will eat it. See what you can come up with and let me know how it goes. You can feed really crappy quality hay just to keep the rumen cooking and then keep doing what you’re doing regarding the pellets. It’s not ideal but I think it’s the best option you have.

By the way, thanks for watching our channel and taking the time to send us a message. If you aren’t on our discussion forum, please check it out and post some pictures of your animals/location. We have people from all over the world. It would be great to add you to the team. We are found on Facebook by searching for the group, Linessa Farms tack box.

@@LinessaFarms The ones being supplemented are on kikuyu grass. However I wanted to give good advice to 4-H club members. We can let project lambs out onto brushy weeds/forage but I’m uncertain what to tell them. One hour graze. Or ?

@@bsheep234 I think you’re on the right track. Some of the show folks will neglect hay all together and feed grain because they think that’s what’s best. The reality is, they just have to get some forage in order to keep that rumen cooking and keep their pH in range. It also helps a lot with vitamin B, calcium, and other vitamin and electrolyte absorption. We always tell people a minimum of a fist full of forage per day. I don’t know what I think about telling the kids it’s ok to turn them out on pasture because you lose a lot of control. This is a tough call to make and a tough question to answer. With show stock, most of the growth and feed is going to come from the grain/supplements you have to offer them. The roughage is simply just there for the rumen. Too much roughage makes it difficult to see what you’re working with and doesn’t do anyone any favors regarding gas, bloat, etc… so what to do? I suppose I would just tell the kids, the key is going to be limiting forage but ensuring a minimum amount every day. If they want to release them to eat on their own, it probably doesn’t need to be long and possibly can be included in their daily walking and handling. Another option would be cutting down and bringing grass to them. I wish I had better info for you. I hope this at least helped some.

Hello, Sydney. For sheep and goats, a grass based hay with some sort of legume is great. This legume can be alfalfa, clover, birds foot trefoil, etc. there are certain precautions that need to go along with each legume such as propensity for bloat and other issues. Alfalfa tends to be a little “hot” and can cause the rumen to get a little on the acidic side. Straight alfalfa will more than likely cause GI upset and cud spilling (barfing) if given in too high a quantity. So, In the end we say a nice grass and legume mix hay with some free choice baking soda kept near the water source. This usually works nicely. If you don’t need the extra protein, straight grass is always an ok option as well (although, they can almost always use the protein).

@@LinessaFarms I found some alfalfa with orchids grass mix around my area. Also, do you just have free mineral as well for your sheep? I didn’t know if I should be giving them minerals or not. And how do you feel about letting them free roam a little bit? I feel like I shouldn’t be asking all these questions.

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Thank you so much. I am from India and I am watching your videos. Has been very informative and helpful

Susanne, thank you very much for your comment and for watching our videos. You are such a wonderful example of why we encourage people to ask questions. This is such a great question and one we did not think to talk about! This is a huge mistake that lots of people make. The answer is no. Pellets do not count as hay and roughage even though they are made of high quality ingredients such as alfalfa. While the pellets can successfully replace a lot of hay and waste, you will still need to provide some hay in order to keep the rumen functioning properly. We tell people a “fist full of hay” is required for every animal per day to keep a healthy rumen going. By “fist full” we simply mean about as much as you can hold in one hand. Just be cautious you don’t have one piggy eat everyone else’s hay! Thanks again for your question and we hope you enjoy our channel and our other videos! We have a new discussion group on Facebook we have just recently started called “Linessa farms tack box” if you’re interested.

@@LinessaFarms thank you for the quick response. Your video was very good information without having to listen to all the fluff. Direct and to the point! Thank you! thank you! thank you! I will be tuning in for more!

@@LinessaFarms Hi Tim, is hay still needed if goat pastured Or fed with wilted fresh grass? Thanks.

@@tchris5824 as long as there is enough in the field to keep them from eating the plants down and getting into the dirt, you will be ok. If they are getting too low, it may kill the plants and put them at increased risk for parasites.

@@LinessaFarms thank you so much. 🙏🙏🙏

Hi! Great question! Any grass based mix usually works fine. Mostly grass with a legume like alfalfa or clover works nicely. There is no need to go with an all alfalfa as it is too hot and they will usually barf it up or get sick. Too much clover and they will bloat. 👍🏻

@@LinessaFarms Thanks for your response. I am learning so much. What are your thoughts on Buckwheat?

@@kt3300 buckwheat is ok but it can cause a photosensitive response in some animals which can lead to some skin issues. Grazing buckwheat is fine. Baling buckwheat for feed can be difficult as it is hard to dry down.

@@LinessaFarms Thank you !

Why do you feel feeding grain is bad for the animal and the people that might eat them? Serious question, we are just trying to understand your perspective. Adding 20 pounds to a lamb in a month is a pretty big task, even with grain it may not be an attainable goal. Giving grain to animals who aren’t used to it will take some time for their rumen to adjust. If you choose to feed grain, we would advise making sure they are vaccinated against clostridium and also starting them off very slowly. Thank you for watching and taking the time to leave a comment.

@@LinessaFarms sure seams like it creates more problems than solutions... I have been feeding grain the last few months just in smaller amounts out in the pasture...(4h being my current context hopefully not my future context ) Just to try to hit weight (not looking good..) As far as for humans my understanding is grass(diverse pastures) fed animals have a higher nutritional density vs grain fed animals. You are what you eat and you are what your animals eat. So why would a purely grain fed (with some hay) animal be better for human consumption? Vs grass the way it's been done forever? I certainly understand grain can help pack pounds on just like Candybars and ice cream pack the pounds on for me right?. Anywho. Just a noob trying to learn and watching and reading lots of stuff which is why I am here. Thanks 👍

@@LinessaFarms I mean I have my Dads doctor telling him if he eats meat he is more likely to get cancer! Can you believe that? The doctor might be right. Most of our meat is fed candy and ice cream right? Out in the kafo! In that context yea I think meat might be causing cancer! But if we put those animals out where they were intended to be that I don't think will be the case. ( I hope not as I love meat). Perhaps you have a vid on this somewhere. Only watched around 10 of your vids. You do give some good tips. Just not sure I am fully onboard with your approach. Thx

@@Ironrodpower sheep are designed to eat roughage. Going to grain as a supplement can help add some weight but it should be done conservatively. The old fashion way would be eating grains growing on the field and consuming a mix of forage and grains together. If a person were to feed straight grain, it would kill a sheep or goat. We’ve seen it happen. In the show world there is a term for it called “cooking the rumen”. Taking in roughage stimulates the animal to produce saliva that works as a pH buffer and keeps the acidity from getting too high/pH too low. If an animal doesn’t get the roughage, the rumen acidity skyrockets and it will essentially kill the rumen and all its bacteria. I wouldn’t compare whole grains to candy bars and ice cream, but I understand your point. Feeding additional fats, carbs, and calories takes added responsibility. We see a lot of obese sheep and goats out there that are way overfed. Monitoring the amount of fat cover on your wool buddies will help you to determine what’s going on. As a healthcare provider I get asked a lot about diet and what’s healthy and what’s not. There is a lot of evidence out there showing that the method of cooking can play a roll in how healthy/unhealthy it is to consume. I have seen a lot of evidence saying BBQing meats might be a bad deal but they don’t say if it’s from toxins in the cooking material itself. We know highly processed foods are no good to include all the preservatives and fats that can lead to oxidative stress. There isn’t a lot of evidence to support GMOs in grains causing problems but there isn’t a lot of funding for the research either. All these things are confusing and new information is out there all the time. I think a little bit of grain at the right time isn’t going to be too bad for you or the animal but you can definitely go overboard very quickly. I think the main point we should be most worried about, especially in the meats we consume is drugs and hormones. Not saying the diet doesn’t matter, but there are a lot of drugs and hormones being used that concern me a lot more. Thanks for asking questions and thanks for watching. We appreciate you taking the time to send messages.

Thanks for watching!

Yes. You can give baking soda year round, free choice, with no concerns.

@@LinessaFarms thanks

Hello, Lori. Nothing to worry about. Urinary calculi are caused by an imbalance of calcium and phosphorus. You need about 1-1/2 times the amount of calcium to phosphorus to be safe. A lot of free choice minerals are high in phosphorus so you have to be cautious. We put out a little at a time near their water and only out our more when it’s gone. If he is getting other minerals, you will need to pull them. If he is getting any extra grain/feed, you can add it to his feed as well. Anytime you are switching feed, it can take them a while. The max amount we would want him to take in would be 1/2-1oz per day so that’s not very much. 👍🏻

You can also add ammonium chloride to his water if you would like some insurance.

@@LinessaFarms thank you so much for getting back with me. Yes I'm giving the AC. I also purchased your medicated ultra lamb and ram protein mix....great products.

@@LinessaFarms and no I pulled the other minerals 👍🏽

@@Septemberfarms thanks! If you need anything, just let us know.

You can but you don’t need to. It’s really up to you. If you offer the goats free choice baking soda, they will consume it as needed. This will allow them to take in more or less as needed. Nothing exciting needed, just put some in a pan next to their water.