# Milk Goiters and Minerals



## samssimonsays (May 4, 2015)

AHHHH I brought home my two babies yesterday and didn't realize I needed minerals? HOW COULD I DO THAT!!! So the lady said they'd be ok without them for a night and to pick them up today. Ok, So I will go to the feed store, no biggie... BUT.... WHAT DO I NEED. I am really not totally freaking out but I am concerned that I will get the wrong ones.... Do they NEED minerals or is it a preference? They were on only hay and minerals with a bit of feed, just weaned from mom. I bought a goat/sheep feed my feed store makes themselves so I know where everything is coming from. Is there an absolute NEED for feed when there is grass, hay and brush readily available? I bought a 50# bag and it isn't cost I am worried about, I heard there are urinary issues with wethers or there can be depending on their feed? It is really all new to me and a lot to take in. I want to do this right for them and make sure they are healthy and happy, OH BOY ARE THEY HAPPY! 

Another question is, I was told by someone who saw her photo it looks like sweet Thelma has a goiter/milk muff? That it could be linked to an iodine deficiency? She was born 3/3/15 and was just weaned fully yesterday when I brought them home... Is this something I need to be concerned with and treat with betadine, or is it normal? She was also puffed up from the dogs upsetting her in her first hour in her new home... could that be a cause as well? 

Here are a couple pictures of her. I guess I never noticed it before...


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## BlessedWithGoats (May 4, 2015)

Goats need copper, more so than what you would find in a feed mix for sheep and goats.  You would probably want to buy a feed made especially for goats, since it'll have the higher amounts of copper in it... copper isn't good for sheep in such amounts though!  I just started buying a loose mineral, made by Manna Pro, called Goat Mineral.  You would give that to them free choice... just watch them to make sure they don't go after it ALL the time; if they're gorging themselves on it, only give them a little at a time, maybe once a day? Also, I was told that the feed can give urinal problems for the boys too, so I would probably stay away from it to be on the safe side, and just give them the minerals.  Please note though, I am not a professional, and I would wait to see if anyone else has superior advice to mine. 
Best wishes to you!


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## samssimonsays (May 4, 2015)

Thank you! Can their mineral be given in a food dish like at a meal time? where I can monitor who gets how much?


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## BlessedWithGoats (May 4, 2015)

Sure, you can definitely give it to them in a food dish!  That's actually kinda what I do too!  I put it in one of those small rubber dishes, which works good!  I would just watch when you put it out there to make sure that nobody goes and starts pigging down on it; they'll probably be after it at first, but they shouldn't stay there and keep gobbling till it's gone, most likely.  If it don't seem like either one of them is going after it too much, you probably won't have to worry about it.  I would just keep an eye on them for anything unusual. (excessive gobbling, etc.).


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## samssimonsays (May 4, 2015)

Thanks!  I put it in their food for dinner? I hope that was OK....  but they didn't seem interested in it otherwise. Sniffed it and looked at me like I was starving them. Because they didn't just spend from 5 until 8 out of their fence walking the yard and grazing with me...


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## BlessedWithGoats (May 4, 2015)

Samantha drawz said:


> Thanks!  I put it in their food for dinner? I hope that was OK....  but they didn't seem interested in it otherwise. Sniffed it and looked at me like I was starving them. Because they didn't just spend from 5 until 8 out of their fence walking the yard and grazing with me...


You're welcome! I've heard that people put it in their food, I don't see why that should be a problem for you.  If they don't want it all, it might find it's way to the bottom of the food dish. 
If you do decide to just leave some out, and you keep it in a dry place and only put a small amount at a time, it should last them at least a couple of days.  My goats usually end up tipping the bowl over!  Except for Cookie, she's pretty good about not doing that. 
Lol! It seems like goats are ALWAYS hungry!! They do get full I'm sure, but it seems like they're pretty much always hungry!


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## BlessedWithGoats (May 4, 2015)

Samantha drawz said:


> AHHHH I brought home my two babies yesterday and didn't realize I needed minerals? HOW COULD I DO THAT!!! So the lady said they'd be ok without them for a night and to pick them up today. Ok, So I will go to the feed store, no biggie... BUT.... WHAT DO I NEED. I am really not totally freaking out but I am concerned that I will get the wrong ones.... Do they NEED minerals or is it a preference? They were on only hay and minerals with a bit of feed, just weaned from mom. I bought a goat/sheep feed my feed store makes themselves so I know where everything is coming from. Is there an absolute NEED for feed when there is grass, hay and brush readily available? I bought a 50# bag and it isn't cost I am worried about, I heard there are urinary issues with wethers or there can be depending on their feed? It is really all new to me and a lot to take in. I want to do this right for them and make sure they are healthy and happy, OH BOY ARE THEY HAPPY!
> 
> Another question is, I was told by someone who saw her photo it looks like sweet Thelma has a goiter/milk muff? That it could be linked to an iodine deficiency? She was born 3/3/15 and was just weaned fully yesterday when I brought them home... Is this something I need to be concerned with and treat with betadine, or is it normal? She was also puffed up from the dogs upsetting her in her first hour in her new home... could that be a cause as well?
> 
> ...


Cute goat!  That first picture of her reminds me of my goat Latte!


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## babsbag (May 5, 2015)

Put the minerals out free choice all the time; they won't OD on them. They will determine what they need and when they need it as far as the minerals.

You can get Ammonium Chloride and add it the feed for the wethers or sometimes pelleted feed will have it added already, some minerals may too. A lot of the feed for meat goats will have the AC in it. All my boys get alfalfa hay and free choice minerals 365 days a year, no grain at all and they are fine. 

Do not treat milk goiter with iodine; it is not an iodine deficiency, it is an enlarged thymus gland and it will go away on its own. You can OD them on iodine and it can burn their skin. Iodine deficiency in goats causes low weight, slow growth, and they will be born bald or with very thin hair. They may have a swollen thyroid gland but it will be quite noticeable at birth. I had some born this way last year and they only lived for a few minutes.  Google milk goiter, there is a bunch of information out there,  it is harmless.


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## samssimonsays (May 5, 2015)

Thank you all so much! I had questions to prepare myself before I got them, and now there is a whole slew of NEW ones  I have to admit... I have wondered what I just got myself into a few times such as with this instance... and when I caught Olaf (Now Ollie) butt up on top of the feed canister and head down into the bag of steam rolled oats for my rabbits... Looks as if I will be getting more feed barrels very soon


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## babsbag (May 5, 2015)

Don't let the goats into any of the feed free choice it can make them very sick and that includes chicken feed. Corn and oats is like candy to them and not good at all. They can get grain overload,( i.e. acidosis ) and I don't want to scare you, but it can kill them. Keep all the feed locked away safe and sound, they WILL knock over barrels and do amazing things to get to feed like that. The teenagers can crawl through pop doors for coops too so watch that as well. Mine on occasion get into the alfalfa hay and even that will give them dog poop log stools and they eat that everyday; it is all about quantity.


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## samssimonsays (May 5, 2015)

The barn that he got into that was my rabbit barn which they are not allowed in or have access to until I am doing chores which is their dinner time as well so they get it in there while I am feeding and watering rabbits. That is when I found him tail up, head down in the oat bag. Not for more than a few seconds. They do get their goat grain mix that my feed store makes themselves and then I mixed a sprinkle of their mineral in with it because they were not interested in it? They didn't eat much of the mineral but got some and then they still would rather attempt to eat from the bag of feed instead of their bowls but I keep on them and do not let it. They do have hay to bed down in in their hut and then I give them some fresh hay daily in the morning. They also get out hopefully every night to run and eat grass with me as I walk them through the yard.... Is that ok @babsbag ? I am too new to all of this to know for sure... But surely want to learn!


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## babsbag (May 6, 2015)

Don't worry about the mineral, they don't need it everyday, that is why you just get a feeder that you can attach to a fence out of the rain and leave it out all of the time. They will nibble on it when they need and want it. I sometimes put in the feed but I have certain goats that won't eat it that way but they also have it in their pen all of the time.

Check your goat feed and see if it has any Ammonium Cholride added to it, if not you can buy some and mix it in with the feed; about a teaspoon a day is all they need. Feeding wethers can be tricky and the AC won't hurt the doeling. You need to keep the Calcium to Phosphorus ratio 2:1 so check you feed and see what it is. I lost a wether as I was feeding wheat hay and not alfalfa, thought I was doing him a favor. Well the hay was WAY over on phosphorus. Now they get maybe a bale of wheat hay about every other month and that is split between 30 goats.

The simpler you can keep the feeding the easier it will be. I used to mix goat chow, sunflower seeds, beet pulp, barely, and sweet cob all together. That got old after a few years. Now the does get alfalfa all of the time and a 16% grain  from the local mill when bred and in milk. I will add a protein supplement  when milking. The boys get alfalfa and their minerals, that is it.


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## samssimonsays (May 6, 2015)

That is very good to know.... We will be selling the wether once another doe is available as my husband doesn't want a male on the property...   I will have to call the feed store and ask them what the ratio is for it and get a different blend if need be... Is timothy hay ok? I have to feed that to my rabbits so that is what I get?


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## babsbag (May 6, 2015)

Having a wether is not much different that a having a doe, they make great pets; no smell, no wanting to breed, no heats. I like them.

The timothy hay will be ok but I would look for the Ammonium Chloride to add to his feed or some minerals might have it add already too.  According to this site  it might be a little high in phosphorus.

http://www.feedipedia.org/node/16886


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## samssimonsays (May 7, 2015)

It looks like I will need to buy some to add it in...  I am still waiting to hear back from the feed store on if it is added to their feed I bought or not. The label was too worn to read. 

*Ingredients:*
Salt, Dicalcium phosphate, Calcium carbonate, Molasses products, Mineral oil, Magnesium oxide, Copper sulfate, Zinc oxide, Vitamin E supplement, Ferric oxide, Manganese sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, Cobalt carbonate, Calcium iodate, Ethylenediamine dihydroiodide, Sodium molybdate, Vitamin D³ supplement, Manganous oxide, Ferrous carbonate, Zinc sulfate, Fenugreek flavoring, Sodium selenite.


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