# Loose Minerals



## Taffy (Dec 9, 2011)

What loose minerals do you feed your goats?


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

We feed ours a cow premix. It has higher levels of copper and selenium then you would typically find in other loose minerals. For cows it should be mixed but for goats, we dont. As they metabolize things at a much higher rate then other livestock, the extra really helps. And because of these higher levels we dont have to copper bolus or do bo-se boosters. Here is a pic of the label and you can get it at:

Bordertown Feed and Supply: 84575 Highway 11, Milton Freewater, OR. 97862 (541)-938-5403

Its about 3 or 4 miles over the Oregon border. No tax


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## Deschutes Dawn (Sep 24, 2013)

I use a loose mix free choice developed by my vet. My saanen had some hair and skin issues when I got him but once on this mix it has all cleared and healed. Some younger goats are thriving on these minerals and grass hay with browse. You can get this mix from Jennifer Cole DVM, 541-382-0184, Bend OR


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Can you post a pic of the label? We started out on a prescribed mix but our old old vet joined the army and that was that.


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## Deschutes Dawn (Sep 24, 2013)

I hope this is readable. This is the label from the mineral mix I use developed by my vet.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

The selenium is at a pretty normal amount but that copper is WAAAAY to low. The normal amount in most goat mineral mix are 1200-1800 ppm. That 250 ppm is nearly in acceptable sheep range.


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## Deschutes Dawn (Sep 24, 2013)

All I know is my guys are doing great and those that had problems don't anymore. This vet has a 400 goat herd which includes meat and milkers plus all the recreational goat owners, packers and dairies use this mix. Maybe the central Oregon area with all our pumi dirt and volcanic soils has something to do with the mix being how it is.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

you maybe right. ill see if I cant dig up our old label so you can pass it onto your vet and discuss it. Results are what counts


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

aren't you concerned about the rather high calcium content and low calcium : phosphor-ratio in both mixes?


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Actually both mixes come in under the 2:1 ratio. And its not the calcium that is the worry. Here is a blurb from Tennessee Meat Goats page.

Urinary Calculi is almost always the result of improper feeding by the producer. A proper calcium to phosphorus ratio in feed, hay, and minerals is critical; this ratio should be 2-1/2 to 1. Although the disease is called Urinary Calculi, the real culprit is phosphorus -- specifically too much phosphorus in relation to the amount of calcium in the diet. Feeding too much grain concentrates and/or feeding grain concentrates with an improper calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is a major cause of Urinary Calculi. Overfeeding or improper feeding of grain concentrates causes solid particles to develop in the urine; these solid particles block the flow of urine out of the goat's body, causing great pain, discomfort, and oftentimes death.

I figure with the alfalfa and mineral mix I am actually closer to 4:1. So not ideal but I also supplement with ammonium chloride in the mineral mix and do a 1 time treatment once a week.


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## Deschutes Dawn (Sep 24, 2013)

I know many of you have tons more goat years than I do but at this time when so many others in our area swear by this vet and her experience then I will also. All of my animals, including my endurance horses, do well. I have many top tens and a best condition award with the Arabians, 45 years experience with them, and my job includes working with animal movement and metabolism. I do my homework. I trust what this super experienced vet has to say and what all the really experienced goat owners in our area say about her. Another retired vet who goat packs also works with my vet and also has healthy working stock, horses and goats. I'll stick with what I'm doing. I'm sure everyone on this forum has their own good results with whatever they use.


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

just a few questions:

what are these other goats used for? Dairy, meat? How long are they expected to live? And how much wethers are among them?

Keeping working wethers is different from keeping dairy or meat goats.


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## Deschutes Dawn (Sep 24, 2013)

OK, a few answers. Around here, there are, of course, dairy, meat, the gourmet cheese applications, packers-day hikes and overnighters, carters, although not many of those. As far as longevity goes,there are so many factors that determine how long an animal will live it's hard to pin down how long said animal will last. I get the feeling you are disapproving of how I take care of my animals. Just a hunch. As long as animals are healthy, happy, and safe, as I said before, I commend whatever feed and supplementation an owner chooses to use. Why mess with success?

That is all I have to say. Period.


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

I don't disapprove or approve. I ask if there's no concern about the contents of the mineral mixes posted in this thread in regard to calcium/phosphorus ratio and calcium content viewed with uc-problems in mind.

Most (all?) mineral mixes for goats/cattle/sheep are mixed with either dairy or meat production in mind and paying no attention to the different needs that a pet goat or a working goat has.

And it's a simple and sadly true fact that neither dairy nor meat goats will live as long as packgoats do and therefore some problems don't surface before the life of the goat has ended and mineral mixes are not mixed for longevity or animal wellfare (regarding to lifestock) but for best/fastest results in either milk or meat versus low costs.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

For a perfect mineral mix, you will need to go to a vet and have it prescribed. The prescription is required because of the high selenium it will need. We use our mix because it is much higher in the two main minerals goats need. There are other mixes out there with extra vitamins or other trace minerals but this mix with the quality of alfalfa we feed is a near perfect blending for where we live and how we raise our animals. For the milkers, the grain the get has a lot of extra stuff that isnt in the mix we use and that even further rounds out the supplements they require.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Here is a little blurb about alfalfa that I came across. It needs to be noted that soil quality and location influence the actual levels of vitamins and minerals in hay. But here is what a dairy quality hay (which we feed) would contain in terms of vitamins and minerals.

One of the most important characteristics of alfalfa is it's high nutritional quality as animal feed. Alfalfa contains between 15 to 24% crude protein as well as an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. Specifically, alfalfa contains vitamins A, D, E, K, U, C, B1, B2, B6, B12, Niacin, Panthothanic acid, Inocitole, Biotin, and Folic acid. Alfalfa also contains the following minerals: Phosphorus, Calcium, Potassium, Sodium, Chlorine, Sulfur, Magnesium, Copper, Manganese, Iron, Cobalt, Boron, and Molybdenum.


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## SMaxwell (May 20, 2012)

Here is what I use, it's Ranch-O-Min Goat Mineral. What do you think? I guess I just assumed since it was formulated for goats it was ideal. But now you got me thinking.

Calcium, min10.0 %
Calcium, max11.0 %
Phosphorus, min11.0 %
Salt, min16.0 %
Salt, max18.0 %
Potassium, min1.0 %
Magnesium, min2.0 %
Zinc, min2,585 ppm
Chelated Zinc, min389 ppm
Manganese, min1,930 ppm
Chelated Manganese, min289 ppm
Copper, min1,170 ppm
Chelated Copper, min174 ppm
Selenium, min24 ppm
Organic seleninum, min3.5 ppm
Cobalt, min8.5 ppm
Iodine, min35 ppm
Vitamin A, min120,000 IU/lb
Vitamin D, min37,500 IU/lb
Vitamin E, min500 IU/lb


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

WOW, thats the first bag I have actually seen a mix with Organic Selenium. I was going to say the selenium was low at 24 ppm but with the organic also, I have no idea. I do know that organic selenium refers to how the extract and process it. Doing it this way makes is substantially easier for it to be absorbed. Its also very expensive to do it that way. Not sure who you would talk to (a good vet maybe) to get the just on how much organic selenium would be the equivalent of normal selenium. But if it equaled out to say 100+ ppm, then it would be pretty good. Id like to see the copper over 2000 ppm as well. Id like to mix that mix with my mix (pre mix levels of selenium and copper). I think that would just about be a perfect mix.

Just did a search for a dealer in my area... nope.


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