# table salt, Sodium bicarbonate, and goats



## goatskeeper (May 14, 2010)

hello,
do you offer your goats Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and Sodium chloride(common salt or table salt) ?
if yes, do you provide it as 'free choice'? if no, how ?

thank you.


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

hi goatskeeper,
ours get the sodium bicarb but the only salt they get is included in their loose minerals.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

It is not regular table salt ....you can buy some loose salt and mineral for goats or cattle... it has copper in it..... goats need all he minerals ...that are in the loose salt and minerals.... regular table salt doesn't have all the goodies in it... that goats have to have to stay healthy.... :wink: :thumb:


----------



## goatskeeper (May 14, 2010)

toth boer goats said:


> It is not regular table salt ....you can buy some loose salt and mineral for goats or cattle... it has copper in it..... goats need all he minerals ...that are in the loose salt and minerals.... regular table salt doesn't have all the goodies in it... that goats have to have to stay healthy.... :wink: :thumb:


here it is not goats country , i cant get loose salts, the only salt i can offer to my goats is table salt.
i dont know if i should provide the salt as 'free choice", and if no how ?

what about soda, do you provide it as 'free choice'?

thank you


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Are you sure? Is there cattle? If so.... they should have a a feed store with loose salt and minerals for cattle..... the goats really need it...and table salt just isn't good enough for them...I hate to say..... I am unsure with regular table salt...for goats.....

Baking soda ....yes... give it... free choice in a separate box.....


----------



## AlaskaBoers (May 7, 2008)

since your in Algeria I really have no idea what you have there as far as mineral.

but nay cattle mineral works well for goats


----------



## goatskeeper (May 14, 2010)

toth boer goats said:


> Are you sure? Is there cattle? If so.... they should have a a feed store with loose salt and minerals for cattle..... the goats really need it


i will ask cattle farmers if they have menirals and where i can get it.


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Even if all they have is a mineral block, it should contain copper and selenium...if that is what you can get you can always smash it up with a hammer and leave it out in a dish along with the baking soda. Leaving it in block form will have them burning their tongues trying to get the minerals they need.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> i will ask cattle farmers if they have minerals and where i can get it.


 Cattle need minerals as well..... so... it should be likely... that they have the loose salt and minerals.... :wink: :thumb:


----------



## Melissako (Sep 13, 2011)

*Why is she licking the car???*

I have two does, one is being milked daily and one (I hope/think) is pregnant and due to kid in May. While I milk the one and it is eating on the milking stand, I let the pregnant one eat her grain as well (in the same area). Our milking stand is set up in the garage and lately instead of eating her grain, the pregnant one spends the whole time licking the car!  The goat feed is complete with all the minerals and such. What could she possibly be missing in her diet that she feels the need to lick the car? The only thing I can think is salt. Should I give her free choice table salt? Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

I guess I could just keep her out of the garage, but I wanted to get her used to to seeing the milking stand (and seeing her friend jump up there) so she is familiar with it for when it is her turn to milk. I don't really have another area I can move it to and I am too whimpy to move it outside...it's too cold out there for me 
Any thoughts?


----------

