OK, so I'll admit it... I use feed grains for my wheat, rye, and corn (meal and grits) needs.

Here is my questions:

Can I use the molasses the feed mills get in those huge tankers that they add to sweet feeds for cooking?

:-)

-- Kevin R (kreffitt@dark-star.com), November 13, 2001

Answers

yes,, that stuff is just rated at a lower quality. WHen people used ot make it all at home on the farm,, they used it all , no matter the quality

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), November 13, 2001.

Taste it and you'll have the answer to your question.

={(Oak)-

-- Live Oak (live-oak@atlantic.net), November 13, 2001.

NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Many of them have added UREA for protein.

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), November 13, 2001.

Worked for a feed company for years. The "liquid feed" that is molasses based, like Pro Lix or Mol Mix or Pro Las does have urea in it to bring it up to 20 and 30 percent protien.

I think you are referring the the regular livestock molasses the they add to feed to keep the dust down and to flavor it. It is naturally 8% protein. Although it wouldn't hurt you if it had been kept clean all the way through its processing (which it isn't), you can't eat it because it tastes awful. It smells wonderful, but it is even a different seed used to raise it.

We raise cane to make molasses. Our friend has the mill to extract the juice and cook down to make it. He was telling us about a new customer who had planted, raised and harvested his cane and had him extract it and cook it down. He was so upset when he realized he had planted the cane seed used for livestock. The first indicator was the taste after it was made into molasses

-- homestead2 (homestead@localnetplus.com), November 13, 2001.

Listen to Rose they do put in urea and the mollasses many times comes from some other country and they dont have the standards we have. I used to haul it all over the US and you dont want to use that stuff. They even put in Whey Now you have to decide. dale

-- dale (dgarr@fidnet.com), November 13, 2001.

Nope! Molasses used for feed is just not as refined. My husband has worked in a feed mill for years too (over 15) and used to sell liquid feed. Liquid feed is what you are talking about that has urea in it. You do not put urea in the feed grade molasses! It is not clean and doesn't taste very good to humans, but it is great for making feed and does NOT have urea in it. Now there are two votes from people who have been in the industry for a long time. Oh...by the way....I don't think that I would eat it and I have eaten grain from the feed mill as well. Just too strong and who knows what has been floating in it. I agree, it sure does smell good!

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), November 13, 2001.

Along similar lines, I've heard you can buy baking soda bulk (and cheap) at farm co-ops but does it have another name? I've never seen it there?

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), November 13, 2001.

That is funny! My hubby and I went to Walmart tonight. I was trying to find the laundry soda to make that laundry detergent. He said that he wished that regular soda was all that I wanted, because he could get it in 50# bags! Can you imagine a 50 pound bag of soda!? Boy, the house would definitely be deodorized. I would for sure have to get one of those books about all of the things that you can do with baking soda! I might just do that if I can figure out where to keep it. :~)!!!!

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), November 13, 2001.

OOps,forgot to add....Hubby says that it is Sodium Bicarbonate, and is made by Arm and Hammer. Same stuff! Ask for the nutritionalist or the clerk may be able to help you. I say nutritionalist, because that is what my husband does. :~D!

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), November 13, 2001.

I have tried using feed store molasses; it is very, very strong compared to that sold in a store. I know nothing about the purity. I do buy the 50 lb. bags of soda from the feed store, take out a quart or two for household use, then take the rest of the bag to the barn. We always keep soda available to our sheep and goats as you would salt or other supplements. They use it as they need it.

-- Dianne Wood (woodgoat@pacifier.com), November 14, 2001.

Nan, you are right........have a big bag in my barn. I keep it out for my goats to use free choice as a rumen buffer. They seem to know when they need it. :>) I just grab some when I want to deoderize the refrigerator or something. Since I keep it in the barn I am not quite ready to cook with it though.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), November 14, 2001.

I might be wrong, but it was my understanding that grain for animals can contain a certain amount of insect parts. Very minuscule (sp?), but something to consider when using this grain for human consumption.

-- Kate henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), November 15, 2001.

During wheat harvest you pretty much know who has the clean wheat and whose is yucky. You can get some really nice grain then if you know the mill man. I have a friend who paid 20 dollars for a 5 gallon bucket of wheat and I got mine for less than 3 dollars a bushel during harvest. About 60 to 62 pds a bushel I think. Of course my husband works at the feed mill so I can have first dibbys. Anyway...it is not hard to pick over if there is anything mixed in with it. Occasionally I find a weed seed in the stuff from the mill, but it is generally cleaner than my friend got and paid so much for. That is probably not the norm. Though you can be choosy too if you have a good relationship with the feed mill. There are some things that I wouldn't get from the mill because I don't know where they came from. For human consumption anyway. Beans are something that are pretty clean in general. Like cow peas and such.

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), November 15, 2001.