# Mineral blocks outside....



## porkchop48 (Jan 8, 2012)

Is ok if they get wet on occasions?


I am at a loss of where to put them.


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## autumnprairie (Jan 8, 2012)

porkchop48 said:
			
		

> Is ok if they get wet on occasions?
> 
> 
> I am at a loss of where to put them.


mineral blocks are not enough for goats, some people put them by their water buckets. 

The experts on here recommend free choice loose minerals.
I put my free choice in tin buckets and hang inside their barn.
I hope this helped, Good Luck


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## ksalvagno (Jan 8, 2012)

Mineral blocks have minerals in the form of oxides. The goats don't utilize oxide minerals so they are basically useless. You need a good loose mineral with chelated and/or sulfates as minerals. Check the labels before buying. The minerals should have chelate or sulfate at the end of each mineral.


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## autumnprairie (Jan 8, 2012)

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> Mineral blocks have minerals in the form of oxides. The goats don't utilize oxide minerals so they are basically useless. You need a good loose mineral with chelated and/or sulfates as minerals. Check the labels before buying. The minerals should have chelate or sulfate at the end of each mineral.


thank you for letting us know that. I didn't  know they had to be sulfates or chelated


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## porkchop48 (Jan 8, 2012)

My goats do get free choice loose minerals. 

I posted this in the wrong section, it is actually for my calves.
Sorry.

I guess the guestion would still be the same as to what happens if they get wet.


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## ksalvagno (Jan 8, 2012)

I'm guessing it would melt the mineral block.


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## SheepGirl (Jan 8, 2012)

If you are going to feed a mineral, be it solid or loose, then it needs to be under cover. If you think about it with a mineral block, an animal licks it and eventually it goes down to nothing. So imagine if it was uncovered and it was raining, how fast it would disappear?  Loose minerals that get wet will form into balls and then it's not so much a loose mineral anymore.

So, if you can keep it in a feeder inside a barn or get a covered mineral feeder, then you should be safe.


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## 20kidsonhill (Jan 9, 2012)

we leave our mineral blocks sit outside next to the hay, in the pasture.  They don't dissolve away, I am guessing if you get lots and lots of rain, it would dissolve them faster than being under shelter, but they hold up pretty well.


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## Chirpy (Jan 9, 2012)

I've left mineral blocks out for my horses and llamas.. they all dissolved much quicker than when I have them in the barn and dry all the time.  By much quicker, I'm talking it still taking months but they did dissolve faster sitting out in the rain/snow.  

I actually did a test to see about this very question....   I don't leave mine outside anymore.


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