https://thriftyhomesteader.com/preventing-coccidiosis/, How many kids can a doe feed? You should NEVER have salt available when you are using a mixed mineral that contains salt. I thought sweet feed wasnât good – I should stay away from sugars?? It sounds as though I should discontinue this aspect of their diet, and I am wondering if you have any advice that you could share for doing so? Dumor Goat Sweet Feed is good, but I do wish they’d change the name as it is rather confusing because sweet feed is usually just empty calories. We want to do right by our boys (getting two young wethers), but cannot break the bank either. What excellent advice! I live in Muskogee Oklahoma. That is also why they need milk — lots of calcium and protein. https://www.purinamills.com/goat-feed/products/detail/purina-goat-chow, Meat Goat is medicated, and you should NEVER feed medicated feed as a matter of habit — ONLY if you have a problem with coccidiosis or goats likely to be infected with coccidiosis. Success! Ok great. Should we get the Medicated Sweetlix or the non Medicated Sweetlix? I came across your site. It would be much more important for you to STOP feeding grain than to switch minerals. hahaha If they get diarrhea, it’s probably coccidiosis at that age. Five weeks is not that bad, if it was just done when you picked them up. Purina makes a lot of different goat feeds. Do you have minerals available free choice? If that doesn’t work, I don’t have any other ideas. Wethers also don’t need kelp. We are getting our first Nigerian Dwarf goats in about a month. Goat Power™ 22% Red Block (80921AAA) Designed for free-choice feeding to goats on pasture or with all-roughage rations Provides high-quality protein, essential macro and trace minerals along with … You only need to feed a medicated feed during times of stress for kids when they are at risk of coccidiosis. Goats don’t exactly “eat” minerals. It also fosters optimal conditions for reproduction and enhances show appearance. You could wind up with some type of mineral toxicity. Iâve read that too much alfalfa can be harmful to our boy goats due to the high calcium levels. What type of hay should we look for here in GA? Our kids were weaned at 2 months. Growth slows down quite a bit after 6 months though, so it’s best to switch them to a grass hay around that time. Is this ok for milking dairy goats? With a solid texture, minerals will be licked by goats according to the needs of … If they are mineral deficient, it’s not unusual for them to be gobbling up the minerals. You had posted that I think it was Purina (?) I would not expect your goats to consume much of the minerals since they are not breeding. What I would like see would be a chart with a recommended range for each of the recommended minerals that should be fed, but I suppose that could also change depending on what region I was in? This farmer also does not pasture his goats. https://thriftyhomesteader.com/a-beginners-guide-to-goats/, Wethers and bucks should have a grass hay. We have been prepping their pen, which will be shared with 4 ducks, and are almost ready for them. All goats need a free choice mixed mineral regardless of whether or not they are eating a commercial goat grain. Because goats in the wild are not fenced in. Is there a mineral product that is safe for all 3 or how do we separate who eats what? Sounds silly, but I feel really guilty not giving her feed when she sees her horsey brother eating feed. A specific color is not indicative of copper deficiency. Designed to help improve the performance of goats, this premium blend of minerals offers the perfect balance of critical vitamins and a taste that will keep your animals licking. You pay the same price when you purchase through affiliate links as you would if you went directly to Amazon, and our site earns a small commission, so by shopping through our links, you are helping to support our blog so that we can continue to provide you with free content. I have a high Iron & mineral well water.. When some people get started with goats, they may overlook a very important aspect of their care by failing to provide free-choice, loose goat minerals. They are in a fenced in area about 50 feet x 75 feet with lots of grass and a few trees. I would also give them a better form of grain, but not much available in my (very rural) area. It’s just dried grass basically. The Billy Block is 93% salt and has very tiny amounts of minerals in it, so the goats were consuming a lot of it because it actually had very little minerals in it. ... “I have had great success with using the Redmond mineral blocks for my dairy goats. Pretty sure I’m going to switch to purina or sweetlix whichever one I can get and cost. Could you keep them in the barn for a few days so they can get used to the minerals and not have dirt available as an option? There are so many! DuMOR Sheep & Goat Blocks is a high-quality livestock supplement that provides essential nutrients to your sheep and goats. Is sweetlix okay for pet wethers? You want at least 1500 ppm copper in the free choice minerals. There is NO need to give medicated feed to adults. Goat Mineral Block. https://www.purinamills.com/goat-feed/products/detail/purina-goat-chow. I am currently feeding them free choice second cut hay, free choice Sweetlix Meatmaker mineral, and Hiland Naturals Non-GMO Heritage Goat Feed (1/4 c. for each of them twice a day). If that happens, you know they’re zinc deficient, and you just switch them to grass hay. If a goat’s only symptom is a fish tail, and she always has it, that may just be her normal. What is the best thing I can do to insure my goats are having all they need without hurting my ewes I have 2goats and one ewe very attached to me and each other. I did a lot of research before I even got goats and have been terrified of grains and alfalfa. We plan to feed a sweet mix food (non-medicated), mixed with black oil sunflower seeds and sprouted pumpkin seeds, giving each goat 1/2 a cup a day. Reputable breeders castrate males that are sold as pets, so hopefully you have two wethers (castrated males) rather than bucks (intact males that will pee on their faces and get stinky when they mature). Homestead Goat Mineral … Wethers are very easy keepers. Medicated Sweetlix has a coccidiostat in it to prevent coccidiosis, so it’s really just for kids around weaning or moving to a new home, which is a stressful time. The amount of copper that a goat needs can kill a sheep. They only have to deal with what they are carrying right now, so hopefully they will do well. Sudden dietary changes can upset their rumen. How much alfalfa/Grass hay do they get if they are also grazing/pasturing? If the iron is listed as a percentage, then it is much higher than anything listed in ppm because 1% is 10,000 ppm. It’s a very old myth that goats should not chew the copper. Hello! Show Co-op 17% Pelleted Show Goat … I use the pelleted formula, not the sweet feed. Since you are bringing them to a new farm with zero parasites on the pasture, that will make the transition much easier for them. It does contain copper. Young goats, up to 6 months can utilize the grain and alfalfa, but don’t really need it. Goats have very soft tongues, unlike cows whose tongues are like sand paper. I have been trying over the last month to get them back on track and have given them all several doses of the Replamin, and there is no response. Here is more info on baking soda: Two months is the absolute minimum age for weaning, even for people who are fine with using medicated feed. What is your recommendation? I sprinkle minerals on their food (which contain copper). And an organic dairy goat/kid pellet from Modesto Milling. It just happens with some goats. Can you tell me what you mean by âan all stockâ sweet feed? Is color change the only symptom? Male goats and donkeys do fine on a good grass hay. They really only need it for about three weeks. And we would love to have milk. In the past, when I have noticed they are becoming copper deficient, I would give them a dose of Replamin Gel Plus and it would clear it up almost immediately. They may think they should top dress the goats’ feed rather than having the minerals available all the time. Here is more on converting ppm and percents: If you buy the 10# bucket, you would only need to get it once, then get the unmedicated from then on. They wanted me to confirm that the Purina grain at least has ammonium chloride for the wether. This is how some of the most popular minerals stack up — and why I only recommend Sweetlix and Purina and compare other brands to their nutritional analyses. Is there a certain loose mineral that I could offer that would benefit/not harm them all? They also said to ease into foraging outside (which makes sense)âall in the name of not taxing their rumen, or stressing them out. My question is if the horse gets into the minerals, will it hurt him? Here is my Beginner’s Guide to Goats, which includes a glossary and links to articles on the basics. One of the boys has been acting stiff in his hind leg and hocks are not straight up as the should be. They will only take a lick or two, so just put a little in your hand. We really are new to this and there is SO much information out there that it ends up confusing me more than anything. Have these does ever been bred? If you can’t find it, you can use Purina, which just changed their formulation, and it is much better than it was a couple of months ago. Thanks so much for your kind words. We recently had to put a pet goat down because we could not keep her healthy. Sorry for the late response. I recommend Copasure. When it’s gone, you should never need to buy it again for those goats. I’m not surprised that it doesn’t look like 3 month old kids are not consuming much minerals. You made my day! 3 to 1 Mineral. I NEVER recommend copper sulfate because it has a very LOW safety margin, and I know people who have killed their goats with too much copper sulfate. She always struggled with parasites and would have spurts of good health and activity but was chronically lame without response to anti inflammatories. Sadly I’ve seen some so-called goat minerals that had as little as 300 ppm copper, which is nowhere near enough. and 1/2 cup Grain (containing at least 35ppm copper) per goat once a day. What is normal coat color of the goat you say is now copper colored — and by that do you mean rusty? Thank you. If you have a pregnant doe or a doe nursing kids, I’d give her alfalfa, but for bucks and wethers, I’d probably lean towards grain and be sure to provide them with ammonium chloride or find a grain mix that has it included. My vet didnât actually do a count, just said there was coccidia present in one sample. Billy and nanny are slang, so not normally used by serious breeders. Hi Deborah. And it works better if you feed them from one pan because then they get competitive and will be more likely to eat them. Just start with a handful a couple of times a day. Though I don’t intend to keep using it, the farm sent me home with a small amount of their Triple Crown Forage and recommended that Iâcontinue with that for a few days, slowly eliminating it, not feeding any grain at all for 4 days, then slowly add the Purina Goat Feed to their diet. Being ruminants, goats will eat almost 24/7 if they are out on pasture, so if you lock them up at night, you can provide them with alfalfa in the barn — probably 2-3 flakes will last them for most of the night. Our goats always needed far more copper than our cows did. It does take quite a bit of protein to produce mohair, so your pygoras that have the long curly locks will need more protein than those producing the other two types of fleece. We donât plan to breed her, nor has she ever been bred. ð. Unless the kids are unusually small for their age and need the extra protein, they really won’t need grain again until they are at the very end of pregnancy (last week or two) or milking. Thank you. Most goats feeds only have about 20 ppm copper. Selenium deficient does may have birthing problems and not pass their placenta in a timely manner. You don’t need to do that. Upon review and further investigation of your website and the above conversations I am getting mixed messages on whether or not it’s okay to feed Bucklings/soon-to-be-wethers Alfalfa because it can wind up causing a zinc deficiency, and Grain because of urinary calculi. When I sell kids, I tell the buyers that they should not buy more than one bag. Required fields are marked *. Are these does, bucks, or wethers? They do NOT currently have good quality pasture to browse. I know that Sweetlix Meat Maker and Purina Goat both have more than enough copper in them. You could have pushed them into a mineral imbalance or a toxicity situation. Although it may seem logical to equate goat minerals with a multi-vitamin for humans and assume that it’s not really important, nothing could be further from the truth. Thank you for all of the information that you provide! Would you recommend Chow over Meat Goat? Is there any way to entice them to start eating the minerals without restricting them to a certain area? If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter, be sure to do that, so you can get additional info weekly. Product Form: Block. She also steals timothy alfalfa or orchard alfalfa from our horseâs stall too. I’m a little concerned that the seller may not have had minerals available for them, so they are just used to eating dirt instead. Meat Maker comes in a medicated and UNmedicated version, so be sure to read the label. Once the goats are 6 months they’ll be weaned off alfalfa and grain and we’ll Only feed them Good Quality Grass Hay (means it should be green). Iâm very eager to learn. But being in Eastern Canada I do not have the access to species specific minerals, but do have access to several types/brands of loose minerals. I wrote to you recently about concrete versus dirt floors and you were extremely helpful. Kay Dee provides optimal nutrients in a block form for the convenience of producers. Goats should have FREE CHOICE minerals available so they can take as much or as as little as they want. They really need the mixed minerals as there are a lot of things in there that they could become deficient in, such as zinc and selenium. Really, only does in milk need grain. On the subject of the mineral you’re using, if these will just be pets Manna Pro is okay, but if you were planning to breed the does, it doesn’t have enough selenium in it. They are very good at self regulating their intake. If you are locking up the goats at night, that’s really the only time they need the alfalfa. They’re currently in a small grassy enclosure (about 20’x26′) with a 3 sided shelter/shed (8’x8′) split down the center with one side being a sleeping area (this is where I have the minerals) and the other being the hay and water side. And they need to have a loose mineral available free choice. You need to read the tags to be sure that you are not getting medicated feed, AND to be sure you are getting one with enough copper. Goat Protein Block. The other 3 goats are doelings. You might also want to join my goat group at http://nigeriandwarfgoats.ning.com. Dry does do NOT need grain. This supplement enhances show appearance, supports sound growth and fosters optimal conditions for reproduction. I found everything very helpful yet I do still have a few questions. We are new goat owners and have 4 ND kids… 8 weeks, 6 weeks, 4 weeks, and 1 week! I do feed a sheep and goat grain to the boys because of the donkey in with them (recommended by the feed store), but weâre stumped about what to do about the minerals for them. Symptoms are: copper colored fur or off white fur- one of them Has a curly coat. Unfortunately, our goats have been with mom in the barn stall this entire time and kept away from the extremely wet/soggy pasture. I think they’d go bonkers if I locked 4 goats into an 8×4 area together for any length of time . Similar to the last post I am also new to goats. Your email address will not be published. Goat minerals should be in a mineral feeder attached to the wall. A milking doe has higher needs than a buck, and a buck has higher needs than a wether — and 3 month old kids need far less minerals than adults. They also get free choice broamy/grass hay along with ample graze in our wooded and pastured areas. I had it happen in the past and the Replamin worked wonders and they had a beautiful black smooth coat in days. Unfortunately NOTHING ever dies online! No noticeable iron or sulfur in our well. I know they need more copper as the one has the tail to show some deficieny. Any insight/tips would be greatly appreciated! We all hate spam, so I don't spam, and I don't sell email addresses. Grain is actually detrimental for wethers and bucks as it can cause urinary calculi, and dry does can wind up overweight if they eat grain. Itâs mostly on their legs and backend where the color change is taking place. We are new goat owners hoping to fulfill a dream of a mini farm. Preferred Mineral for Sheep and Goats, Bag and Block This mineral, formulated especially for sheep and goats, contains added Selenium, Zinc and other trace minerals. Selenium 11.9ppm per head per day along with good quality pasture. We are very lucky to have a reputable feed store in our town that carries Sweetlix, Yay! What am I doing wrong? I sure wish my triplets (also from a first-time mom) had the jump start in life you describe; it makes me question my plan to raise these kids naturally, since there’s no going back…. I am not a fan of medicated minerals, but the medication is actually deadly for equines, so definitely should not be used around donkeys. Only does in milk need grain. My boy takes them just fine and I have given Manna pro goat minerals for years, but my younger doe always manages to chuck them back up and chew them which defeats the purpose. I always say to watch your goats, as they’ll tell you what they need. You are more likely to have copper deficiency if you have well water that’s high in sulfur (stinky), calcium (leaves white film on everything), or iron (makes sink orange) because those minerals bind with the copper, making it unavailable to the goat. Well water in many areas is high in sulfur, iron, or calcium, which inhibits the absorption of other minerals, such as copper, leading to deficiency. I just want to say thank you for your post(s) on copper deficiency. Feed Homestead Goat Mineral free choice to kids and mature goats. Congratulations on your new goats! In 17 years I’ve only had one adult that needed to be treated for it, and it was when she almost bled to death after giving birth to a particularly huge kid all by herself. 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Uses wheat middlings as a carrier shows, original audio series, and yes, need! Them MannaPro milk replacer since that is only meant to be a lot research! (? are minerals that are safe and nothing harmful in them, that... Sweetlix meatmaker loose mineral available free choice minerals, they won ’ t consume much of the ant.! Stored in the winter as things slow down has a curly coat had a beautiful smooth. The ant possibility and two goats will die touched them their tails are looking a bit âthinâ – maybe thin... Issue with ants and sweet feed which i started mixing in way, it s! Been such a huge help to folks will alter their consumption been watching YouTube looking... Pooping pebbles, eating, and poured buckets are only a small small bit grain... Little rusty color around the back end is not a very old myth that goats ’! 6 weeks, 4 weeks, and weeds, like most pastures in Florida depending upon their body and... More danger or stress got her we could not get healthy hard for goats that a goat s. Hay do they benefit from added grain/alfalfa to their par yet as they ’ re too kind, again...
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