Earlier in the week, a question was posted about goats delaying their heat cycle. The following threads talked about beet pulp and it's effects on bucks. I'm confused about beet pulp. We grew mangle beets (from Shumway's) and was wondering if this was the same thing. The mangle beets grew like beets only they were white/yellowish like potatoes and we kept them in the root cellar. I'd cut them into chunks and the goats loved them. Is beet pulp the same thing only dried and reconstituted? Thanks

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), October 30, 2001

Answers

Beet pulp is made from sugar beets and is normally dried into pellets or shreds. I used to be able to buy the pellets very cheap in bulk & used them to suppliment my horses feed. Unfortunately, with the hay shortages many folks started feeding beet pulp and the price has gone way up. This makes an excellent horse feed, but is somewhat of a hassle in winter due to the soaking (pellets should be soaked for several hours in water frist as 1 coffee can of pellets will make nearly a 5 gallon bucket of soaked mush). Local farmers tell me sheep, goats, and cattle can eat without soaking so I tried mixing some of the pellets in with my goats grain. They wouldn't eat any of the pellets, picked out all the grain! Nor would they eat the soaked much. I finally gave up & only use for the horses now.

-- ellie (elnorams@aol.com), October 30, 2001.

It's interesting that the goats wouldn't eat the beet pulp, because I feed mine beets and they love them!

Sugar beets and mangles aren't the same thing, but as I've had no experience with either one I'm not the person to say what the feeding/breeding results would be!

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), October 31, 2001.

I am not surprised at anything. My adult animals eat the beet pulp but I do mix it with corn and oats. The dried beet pulp I purchase also has molasses. I have other goats, especially younger ones, who won't touch it. As far as feeding it to an animal without rehydrating it, personally, I won't even go there. What a way to ask for trouble.

-- dawn stead (norest@zeuter.com), December 20, 2001.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't beet pulp the fibres left over when all the sugar and juice have been removed from sugar beets? Sort of like eating cardboard? Maybe vaguely sweet cardboard? Maybe slurried cardboard? Now ruminants can get nutrition out of even that - they feed shredded paper to feedlot cows. However, I wouldn't be surprised if animals that had a choice would elect not to eat it. Completely different to nice fresh sweet juicy beets or mangolds, I'd imagine.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), December 21, 2001.