# Free choice salt...



## Mini-M Ranch (Sep 17, 2009)

I have free choice goat minerals out.  I also put out baking soda, but they hardly even sniff it.  Should I put out loose salt, too?  If so, do I want salt with trace minerals or plain salt?


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## ksalvagno (Sep 17, 2009)

Are the minerals clumpy or anything? I only give my 2 does about a tablespoon full everyday of the minerals. I have to scoop out the wet stuff and dry out the mineral feeder before putting the new stuff in. Some days they eat it, some days they don't.


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## CathyK (Sep 17, 2009)

Does your mineral already have salt in it? If it doesn, you might not need to put out salt too.

We give the goats a salt block, the blue one (cobalt I think), and baking soda. I mix mineral into their feed (soaked beet pulp and a little grain and corn). That way I know they are getting the minerals. 

Cathy


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## freemotion (Sep 17, 2009)

If they are not touching the baking soda, that is good, it means their tummies are ok.  Be sure to check it daily, though, to make sure that no one pee's or poo's in it, including the birds.  It can be hard to see if it gets coated in the baking soda.


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## trestlecreek (Sep 18, 2009)

Yes, the salt in the loose minerals is enough, no need for regular salt.
We used to leave out baking soda years ago too until I learned that it can do more harm than good.


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## cmjust0 (Sep 18, 2009)

They adjust the salt/sweet content in mineral mixes to regulate how much of it the average goat will take in at a time..  If it's really salty, they won't take as much.

Makes sense, then, that if you set out free-choice salt, you might see a decrease in mineral uptake if the goats get a salt "fix" from the straight-salt feeder...and that's not a good thing.

There should be plenty of salt in the mineral anyway...most are 15% salt or higher.


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## lilhill (Sep 18, 2009)

We don't leave out free choice baking soda anymore either.  And we only give them the free choice minerals.


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## cmjust0 (Sep 18, 2009)

Baking soda's never something I've left out, but tell me...what problems did you guys run into?


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## Mini-M Ranch (Sep 18, 2009)

I also am interested in what problems you have had with leaving baking soda out.  Mine don't seem interested at all, but I read in a bunch of places, and one of the breeders where I got two of our does said she leaves it out all the time.  So, I just was doing what she recommended.

As far as keeping pee and poo out of them, we have that covered.  Dear Husband made me a very nifty mineral feeder out of PVC pipe that keeps the minerals dry and covered.  If you are interested in seeing a pic, I can post one this evening after I get home.

Like I said, I am not at home and so, can't look at the ingredients listed on the little bag.  I had Sweetlix Meat Maker for goats, but something happened (I'm sure it had something to do with my 5 year old and the water hose, but he denies it  ) and it got all wet in the bucket.  So, I went to Southern States to pick up a little bag until I can order more Meat Maker.

It is Manna Pro.

Here's a list of the ingredients I found on the Southern States website.  Does this look decent or no?  Is the salt content high enough?




Crude Protein                             Min 4.00%
 (This includes not more than 4.0% equivalent crude protein from non-protein nitrogen)

Calcium                                       Min 16.00%

Calcium                                       Max 19.20%

Phosphorus                                Min 8.00%

Salt                                             Min 12.00%

Salt                                             Max 14.40%

Potassium                                   Min 1.50%

Magnesium                                  Min 1.50%

Copper                                        Min 1350 PPM

Manganese                                 Min 2750 PPM

Zinc                                             Min 5500 PPM

Selenium                                     Min 12 PPM

Vitamin A                                     Min 300,000 IU/LB

Vitamin D3                                   Min 30,000 IU/LB

Vitamin E                                     Min 400 IU/LB






MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, SALT, DISTILLERS DRIED GRAINS WITH SOLUBLES, CANE MOLASSES, VEGETABLE OIL, YEAST CULTURE, AMMONIUM CHLORIDE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, POTASSIUM SULFATE, POTASSIUM AMINO ACID COMPLEX, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, MAGNESIUM AMINO ACID CHELATE, MAGNESIUM SULFATE, FERROUS SULFATE, FERROUS CARBONATE, COPPER SULFATE, COPPER AMINO ACID CHELATE, MANGANOUS OXIDE, MANGANESE SULFATE, MANGANESE AMINO ACID CHELATE, ZINC OXIDE, ZINC SULFATE, ZINC AMINO ACID CHELATE, COBALT CARBONATE, CALCIUM IODATE, SODIUM SELENITE, VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIA, DRIED ENTEROCOCCUS FAECIUM FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED LACTOBACILLIUS CASEI, DRIED LACTOBACILLIUS ACIDOPHILLUS FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED LACTOBACILLUS PLANTARUM FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED BACILLUS SUBTILLUS FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED ASPERGILLUS ORYZAE FERMENTATION EXTRACT, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS.


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## cmjust0 (Sep 18, 2009)

The only thing -- and I mean the ONLY thing -- I'd change about that mineral is the Selenium...12ppm is too low, IMHO.

Otherwise, that looks like one hell of a mineral blend.



ETA:  Wait, there's one other thing I'd change -- THE PRICE.  Holy cow...it's $9 a bag at Valley Vet and $10.65 at Jeffers.  At first, I thought "Hey, that's not so bad..  I paid $15/bag the other day.."

Then I realized it was an **8LB BAG.**


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## Mini-M Ranch (Sep 18, 2009)

Yeah, that's why I would only use it in a pinch!  YOWZA!


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## helmstead (Sep 18, 2009)

IMO The only thing baking soda is good for is treating floppy kid syndrome.  I agree with others, leaving it out full time is useless, if not problematic.

I know of several people who leave out canning & pickling salt (no added iodine) alongside their loose minerals, and these people say their goats do eat both.  In my situation, I need them to eat as much of the loose minerals as they will (copper and selenium deficient area) so I don't need to bolus so often...so I decided to stick with loose minerals only to keep that consumption up.


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## lilhill (Sep 18, 2009)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> Baking soda's never something I've left out, but tell me...what problems did you guys run into?


It was the rage years ago, but too many goats have over done the baking soda looking for the salty taste - it gives them acidosis, and they die.


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## kimmyh (Sep 18, 2009)

Loose minerals will get a crusty layer on the top of them if left out. In my herd, the goats would refuse to touch that layer, and I would have to scoop it out and throw it away daily, which gets rather expensive in a herd of 200. Now, I put a pinch on each goats grain once daily, my mineral bill has been reduced, and in effect I am force feeding just a pinch a day to each goat.


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