# Calf Manna Fail...



## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

So, after much reading and contemplating and watching and waiting I decided to get some Calf Manna for Ditza. She's our almost 9 week fresh FF LaMancha. All my other goats are in fine condition, but she just can't seem to get enough calories from her grain, BOSS, browse and hay to keep any weight on.

I bought some yesterday and I opened it and set one small scoop of it near the milkstand to top dress her feed with when she came in to be milked. Annika (our Nigerian Dwarf) gets milked first. She took one whiff of the Calf Manna (it smells like licorice or anise) and gave me no peace until I let her have a few nibbles. She LOVED it! Goat ambrosia!!

However, Annie's weight is perfect. She really doesn't need any extras right now, so I took her out and brought Ditza in. I top dressed her grain and waited for her to dive in.

No diving.

Instead, she kept blowing on her food and pushing it around and make sad little moans. She'd turn her head as much as she could in the staunchion and gave me sad why-are-you-so-mean-to-me looks. She was so pathetic!

Poor mistreated beast!

I finally dumped her "contaminated" food into another container and gave her a new batch of grain and BOSS and she chowed down.

Good thing I was able to buy the Calf Manna in a small bag!!!

This morning I'll try just sneaking in a tablespoon or so into her feed and see if that works better...


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Even just put a few pellets in.


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## Hannah21 (Jun 17, 2014)

Omg mine is the same!I'm treating her for lice,so she's lost weight.I gave her alfalfa pellets,grain and calf manna..played with it with her lips and refused to touch it!but will eat each alone.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Hahahaha. What a goofball of a goat we have! 

This morning I gave her the normal ration. She scarfed it down before I finished milking and was rattling her feed pan. So I set the milk aside and let her have a teeny nibble of the calf Manna. Her eyes got huge with excitement, she wolfed and started lunging around looking for more. I gave her a whole cupful and she inhaled it.

What a weirdo!:dance:


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## glndg (Feb 8, 2013)

Too funny! At least she will eat it now. 
These critters are hard to figure out sometimes. For animals that have the rep of eating anything and everything, they can sure be picky. Mine will turn their noses up at treats I hear other goats love -- apples? No way!


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## CritterCarnival (Sep 18, 2013)

glndg said:


> Too funny! At least she will eat it now.
> These critters are hard to figure out sometimes. For animals that have the rep of eating anything and everything, they can sure be picky. Mine will turn their noses up at treats I hear other goats love --* apples? No way!*


Until tomorrow!! :laugh:

My crew drive me nuts with the "love it today, poison on the tongue tomorrow" thing. :doh:

And Luna...goofy goat, if she doesn't get the first treat before anyone else gets anything, she refuses to accept any treat. :hair: :ROFL:


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## WitchHazel (May 5, 2015)

Our rescue girl, Magda, won't accept any treats but maple leaves and corn nuts. She acts like corn nuts are crack or something.

And if we try to put probiotics on her grain? She knocks the full pan off the platform. We were giving her meds for pneumonia for a short time, so we tried really hard to get the probios down her; she wasn't having any of it. And since we milk on our back porch, everything she knocks off get eaten by my ducks. Needless to say, the ducks have developed a taste for molasses-soaked pellets.

We really need to get a pan screwed onto the stand!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Mine hate it too. I would have to mix it in really good, but even then they wouldn't eat it all so I just don't buy it any more.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Gee , must be something wrong with my goats , they eat 
EVERYTHING !

Aa long as they don't see me try to sneak anything like a copper bolus or anything "poisonous" in it , they'll chow down . :laugh:


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I buy Sunshine pellets, which are the same thing as Calf Manna but much cheaper. My goats love it, but it took a bit of getting used to the smell/flavor for them to eat it. At first, they thought I was trying to poison them. Silly critters. I LOVE the smell of it, makes me want to nibble on it too.


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## Hannah21 (Jun 17, 2014)

These are so hilarious!my mom and I talk about how she's so not "one of the goats"she's so different lol


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

All of mine so far loved the calf manna. I have never had one that didnt.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

lottsagoats1 said:


> I buy Sunshine pellets, which are the same thing as Calf Manna but much cheaper. My goats love it, but it took a bit of getting used to the smell/flavor for them to eat it. At first, they thought I was trying to poison them. Silly critters. I LOVE the smell of it, makes me want to nibble on it too.


I'll have to look for the Sunshine pellets. The Calf Manna costs more than twice as much as our grain! I got the CM at TSC because Lyman's didn't have any in stock.


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## Greybird (May 14, 2014)

Don't laugh, but I've seen Calf Manna for sale at our local WalMart for a LOT less than what TSC charges for it. They also sell the Manna Pro goat minerals.
I don't know if all WalMarts do this, but it has certainly simplified my life since I found out about it because I used to have to drive for over an hour to get the minerals - and then I had to pay $16.99 for an 8lb bag of them! They're $9.49 at Wally World.


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## gonegoaty (May 15, 2015)

Greybird said:


> Don't laugh, but I've seen Calf Manna for sale at our local WalMart for a LOT less than what TSC charges for it. They also sell the Manna Pro goat minerals.
> I don't know if all WalMarts do this, but it has certainly simplified my life since I found out about it because I used to have to drive for over an hour to get the minerals - and then I had to pay $16.99 for an 8lb bag of them! They're $9.49 at Wally World.


What area of the store does your Walmart carry these things?? I will have to look! My goats love calf manna too, even my picky one. It's funny the things she'll eat and the next thing she'll turn her nose up at. :laugh:


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

goats are so picky sometimes. Silly goat.


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## Greybird (May 14, 2014)

My WalMart keeps their small selection of goat products in the pet department, on the same aisle as the chicken and horse food.


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

You have chicken and goat and horse food at your walmart? We don't have any of that


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Hmmmm. At Walmart? Wow. I don't think ours carries anything for livestock - just dogs, cats, fish, and rodents/bunnies, but I won't swear to it until I check there more carefully this week...


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## gonegoaty (May 15, 2015)

I don't think my Walmart carries any of that either. I'm kinda jealous. I'd go to Walmart more if they did!


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Interesting!! My girls decided they didn't like their grain anymore, and I added this haystack special blend, they would fight over that stuff, but they picked it out and left the grain. I added 2 cups calf manna, 1 cup grain and 2 cups special blend... Holy cow, they licked the bowl clean...


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## wndngrvr (Dec 10, 2011)

My girl takes the powdered probiotics with a teaspoon of peanut butter. Does your girl like peanut butter. Works for my one girl -she will take anything with pb on it.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Ive found from time to time , my herd will push some grain around and be very picky with what they consume. Im thinking its older bags that the feed store decides to "get rid of" before their new shipments go out.
Doesn't happen often , but when it does, thats my thinking on it.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

I actually tried 5 different brands, from a couple different feed stores. I actually think they are just tired of the same kind of stuff...


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

wndngrvr said:


> My girl takes the powdered probiotics with a teaspoon of peanut butter. Does your girl like peanut butter. Works for my one girl -she will take anything with pb on it.


Ditza is a notoriously picky eater. You should have seen how many delicious food items I went through before I found something she'd take her copper in. Canned pumpkin. And ONLY canned. I tried to give her some tat I had cooked myself and she clamped her jaws shut and ran. She HATES peanut butter too. And bananas.

I'm so thankful that she finally decided she did like the Calf Manna. Her weight is already much better. In fact, I'll have to cut back on how much I'm giving her within the next two weeks or so. :leap:


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## Hannah21 (Jun 17, 2014)

Now she's acting like Calf Manna is crack


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Hannah21 said:


> Now she's acting like Calf Manna is crack


And I'm her dealer....


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## angelaem (Jun 13, 2015)

I just discovered Haystack Special Blend today at the feed store!! It sounds great without any additives to worry about! I can't remember what I paid for it because I was getting a bunch of other stuff, but it was a little more spendy. I figure if it gives a more efficient result, I'll probably save money and have healthier goats from it! I wondered if it has enough protein...there's no percentages on the tag. 

I put it in with the blend of things I already had in the bucket...Payback Goat Tender, Kountry Buffet, and Wet Cob (Corn, Oats, Barley w/ molasses). I'm wanting to find a "cheap" source of nonGMO food...does anyone know of a brand I could look for? My goaties decided they pretty much don't like any of the things I am feeding them, except corn. But they gobbled pretty well tonight after I added the Special Blend.... Yay!!! The Saanen Bethany is already gaining weight with extra alfalfa etc...She had me really worried there for a bit. 

I tried everyone with marshmallows for when the Copper Bolus makes it in the mail. Two out of three gobbled it. The third sniffed it and pushed it off my hand onto the ground! Not sure what I'm going to use with her. 

===================
Angela
New Goat mom on the Oregon Coast with 3 girls in milk: 4 yr old Saanen, Bethany; 4 yr old LaMancha-mini, Calla; 1.5 yr old Nubian/Alpine/Oberhasli cross, Juliette.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

angelaem said:


> I just discovered Haystack Special Blend today at the feed store!! It sounds great without any additives to worry about! I can't remember what I paid for it because I was getting a bunch of other stuff, but it was a little more spendy. I figure if it gives a more efficient result, I'll probably save money and have healthier goats from it! I wondered if it has enough protein...there's no percentages on the tag.
> 
> I put it in with the blend of things I already had in the bucket...Payback Goat Tender, Kountry Buffet, and Wet Cob (Corn, Oats, Barley w/ molasses). I'm wanting to find a "cheap" source of nonGMO food...does anyone know of a brand I could look for? My goaties decided they pretty much don't like any of the things I am feeding them, except corn. But they gobbled pretty well tonight after I added the Special Blend.... Yay!!! The Saanen Bethany is already gaining weight with extra alfalfa etc...She had me really worried there for a bit.
> 
> ...


It's only 12% protein, so really not enough. Here's the info....http://www.haystackfarmandfeeds.com/horse-products/special-blend-pellets

Mine would pick this stuff out of their 
grain, so I had to give them something they like and the LOVE calf manna. I keep it up for awhile, but would like to switch to patriot feeds out of Winlock WA that's a non GMO base, and mix with the special blend.

I just use the copper bolus gun, gave up trying to figure out a snack to give them in,
mine are all too picky...


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## Hannah21 (Jun 17, 2014)

Anyone know if Calf Manna is safe to feed long periods of time??


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Hannah21 said:


> Anyone know if Calf Manna is safe to feed long periods of time??


A lot of people add it to their feed mix, so I'm guessing it's okay. I wish there was a cheaper version of calf manna...


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