Had something happen I have never encountered. Just changed over to a better blend and what should have been at least a 3 week supply was consumed in 4 days.
Free choice minerals.
- Thread starter kstaven
- Start date
Had something happen I have never encountered. Just changed over to a better blend and what should have been at least a 3 week supply was consumed in 4 days.
SuburbanFarmChic
Overrun with beasties
Well, my guess would be they REALLY wanted something that was in the new blend that wasn't in the old. My guys will decimate a new mineral when it arrives and then back off after about a week.
20kidsonhill
True BYH Addict
OUr feedmill changed brands last year, and The label looked good so we have been purchasing it. they eat it like crazy. One of the employees told me, some of the cattle people aren't happy with it, because the cattle are consuming so much of it that they can't keep it out and can't afford to keep buying it, so their sales have dropped, since they switched brands. Well, for example, I just purchased a 25lb bag 8 days ago and it is well over half gone. I am feeding around 30goats, but that is still a lot of minerals to keep buying at $18 a bag. Now a good part of my goats are still only on pasture, so their mineral reguirements are higher than animals that are getting daily grain.
Hillsvale
Loving the herd life
I do find when you put out something new for sheep and goats that its a novelty and it disappears but since my goats and sheep share housing I leave the shee minerals free choice and mix the goats in with their evening grain.... now I only have 4 so it might not be so easy with 30! I also had friends pick up the minerals when they were in the states because we couldn't get them here so I need to be careful they don't disappear though I am told someone local will blend them so we shall see.
Livinwright Farm
Goat Fancier
I have two ways for giving free choice minerals to my herd:
(1) Blocks- White Salt & the red mineral block(we don't do Billy Blocks) - the smaller blocks and wall mounted at wither height(makes it easier for kids to lick & nibble them too).
(2) Loose mineral - Manna Pro(I believe), fed in one side of a wall mounted mineral feeding dish (baking soda goes in the other side)
My goats eat only as much as they think they need. Sometimes they will nibble off a good square inch of the block, other times they take a couple mouth-fulls of the loose mineral. Course, there are also periods of time where they don't go to either.
(1) Blocks- White Salt & the red mineral block(we don't do Billy Blocks) - the smaller blocks and wall mounted at wither height(makes it easier for kids to lick & nibble them too).
(2) Loose mineral - Manna Pro(I believe), fed in one side of a wall mounted mineral feeding dish (baking soda goes in the other side)
My goats eat only as much as they think they need. Sometimes they will nibble off a good square inch of the block, other times they take a couple mouth-fulls of the loose mineral. Course, there are also periods of time where they don't go to either.
doxiemoxie
Loving the herd life
Do I dare ask what this new brand of mineral was? 
- Thread starter
- #7
We are at $55.00 for 50lb. Glad I tried this on one group only. (20 goats)20kidsonhill said:
Dairy choice brand manufactured in BC.
Will not use purina as my goats always came up deficient on the blood work.
Hillsvale
Loving the herd life
I bought Manna goat mineral, it was about 12. US for an 8 pound bag.
- Thread starter
- #9
Going to pick pout a few does and have some blood work done to see where their levels are.
20kidsonhill
True BYH Addict
after researching cargil Right Now products I went to the dealer in town that the cArgil rep. told me to go to. The owner of that feed store said they could order me the Right Now, but that they had Purina goat in the store and I qouate," It is the same stuff." Why not just use that. Really, If you are going to own a feed store, shouldn't you know something about feed. I could tell he looked frustrated when I explained it was no way the same. I never did get him to order it for me. He does sell those big 40lb tubs of protein supplements for goats, wE tried one of those this summer and we were pretty happy with it. Took 20 does around 6 weeks to finish it all. It was $45.kstaven said:
We have several feed stores in our area, so there is really no shortage of brands, but I try to support one as much as possible, because of their outstanding support to 4H members and their fair projects. They also have a really good staff at their store that are very helpful and friendly.
