Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Yep,
Some of us I'm sure are still out here. :O) It's good to be back.
Okay, now to my question concerning feed for goats. I have had my local Co-Op distributor tell me that she feeds her goats "sheep sweetfeed". This DOES contain urea, but it isn't more that 2.4% of the crude protein found in non-protein nitrogen. She has 13 goats, and they seem to be very healthy...as she talks about them quite frequently! This sheep feed would be extremely cost efficient for us down here, and I was wondering if anyone else has tried the sheep sweetfeed. Any info would be appriciated...
~Leslie

>>Yep,
>> Some of us I'm sure are still out here. :O) It's good to be back.
>> Okay, now to my question concerning feed for goats. I have had my local Co-Op distributor tell me that she feeds her goats "sheep sweetfeed". This DOES contain urea, but it isn't more that 2.4% of the crude protein found in non-protein nitrogen. She has 13 goats, and they seem to be very healthy...as she talks about them quite frequently! This sheep feed would be extremely cost efficient for us down here, and I was wondering if anyone else has tried the sheep sweetfeed. Any info would be appriciated...
>>~Leslie

Hi Leslie-

I'm going to have to check into this more but I do know that urea is NOT harmful to goats, or other ruminants. Deadly to horses though, but that's because they don't have that rumen before the rest of the tract to break down the urea.

However, I do want to say that way back in the dark ages when I actually knew the ins and outs of most of this nutrition stuff, we did learn that there is a problem either with feeding sheep goat feed or goats sheep feed. And I want to say it had something to do with the copper in the feed....so let me see what I can find on that one!
-----
PH Cody
HorseHobbyist Site Coordinator

Thanks for the response,
I do know that urea is found in steer fattener at about a rate of 8%. That's about twice the amount found in sheep feed-WOW! Urea can be toxic to anyone, that is, if they consume more than they can handle in the digestive tract. Cattle have 40-50 gallon stomachs, so they need more urea to break down nutrients to become usuable by the animal. But you are correct in all aspects, and helped me out.
I think I will continue to feed sheep sweetfeed. I poured a 50 lb. bag of goatfeed over a 50 lb. bag of sheepfeed in my trashcan bin, so that there can be a very gradual change.
~Leslie

Goats need copper. Copper will kill sheep. If you continue to feed sheep feed, you will have to suppliment copper in the form of free minerals. I was also told that thick membrains on fetuses are caused by copper deficienies.