Loose mineral..."if it's red, it's dead."

[CathyK]

For Copper supplement, Kat Drovdahl in Oregon (Fir Meadows) has an amazing copper combination. I have used it with my goats also.
It isn't listed on the page, but if you email her, she can explain what she has. She also raises dairy goats.

http://www.firmeadow.com/

Lots of really interesting herbal combinations also for your goats and for other animals too.

 

[Roll farms]

Has anyone tried ADM Goat Power mineral? Item number is 80869AAA.

Has no listing for "iron" content on the label, but ferrous sulfate is an ingredient.
Copper comes from Copper sulfate, (1500 ppm min, 1800 max) so I ordered it, and when I opened the bag I was discouraged to discover...
it is red (reddish anyway).

Also has selenium listed as 18 ppm.

I also ordered some kelp meal (suspected a possible iodine issue last year w/ a kid I sold, wasn't sure if it was her feed or mine...).

They (ADM) also carry a dairy goat concentrate (36%), I ordered 4 bags and will see how they do when I add that to their feed.

My girls always look a little sorry when I'm milking them, and I know that's normal but...darn it, I want them to look GOOD, you know??

Anyway, just want some feedback on ADM in general, if anyone's tried it.

Thanks...

 

[ksalvagno]

Unfortunately I have no experience with ADM but will be very curious how it works out for you. I'm using Purina Goat Mineral and I'm not totally sold on it. But when I look at other mineral contents, they don't seem to be any better. Hadn't checked out ADM though.

 

[kimmyh]

It sounds fine to me, and there is no issue with red. Most of the really good goat minerals are red tinged. As to your girls looking less than desired when you are milking, have you tried adding beet pulp/Calf Manna to their feed program.?

 

[Roll farms]

The does who go down are our most "dairy"...they put EVERYTHING in the bucket, including themselves, sometimes.
On the same feed, the boers I milk get fatter, the dairy does just go skinny, no matter what I give them....calf manna in the past helped, but not as much as I'd like.
That's why I wanted to try the dairy goat concentrate I mentioned...

 

[cmjust0]

Since I started this topic, I've seen some mineral mixes that list something like "Ferric Oxide (for color)" on the ingredients.

For me, the 'red/dead' thing means that red coloration in a mineral mix should prompt the buyer to look a bit more closely at the ingredient tag.. If it lists a bunch of oxides and very few sulfates or chelates, it's probably not that great of a mineral. "American Stockman Big 6," for instance, is pretty "dead"...cheap, mostly salt, ferric oxide, copper oxide, etc..

However, if a mineral mix is red but contains sulfates and chelates, I would think it's a pretty good bet that it's composed of more highly bioavailable minerals and is only colored red intentionally to avoid customer confusion..

I mean....imagine being really accustomed to opening bags of red mineral mix, only to open a bag one day and pour out a feed tub full of what looks a whole lot like cement mix.. I think a lot of folks would dump that right back in the bag and call the manufacturer, wondering what the heck broke down at the mineral mixing factory.

 

[jlbpooh]

I have the Manna Goat Minerals and it is brown. It has the AC in it and the Ca ratio is 2:1. I am feeding them free choice minerals, hay, and pasture, and 1/2 cup twice a day of Calf Manna. I have two Nigerian wethers, one is 7 1/2 months (I got him at 6 months old), and the other is 3 1/2 months old (I got him at 8 weeks old). The younger one seems like he may be getting a little chunky on this diet, I have already cut the Calf Manna down a little on him, the older one is doing well on this amount though. Is it OK to let them get just a little chunky for winter? You can still feel his ribs in areas, just not all the way from top to bottom. You can still feel his hip bones well too although there is a little bit of meat on them. They finally finished the first bale of hay last weekend after 8 weeks. Since it has been raining more and is a little cooler in the mornings, they have been eating more hay.

 

[Roll farms]

Calf manna is a pretty rich feed I only give to sick or heavy milking goats. You're not overfeeding it, but it's just 'more' than what your wethers need, IMHO.

I'd think a good 16% goat feed would be better for them (that has Am.Ch. added to prevent UC).

And maybe offer a bit more hay...they 'need' hay to develop a good rumen, and keep it going.

 

[jlbpooh]

The only reason I started them on the Calf Manna was that TSC didn't have the Purina feeds yet, and I didn't want to have to drive 30 minutes one way to get something other than Dumor. The only other place around here doesn't have pelleted feed and I have had a problem with bugs in the chicken feed so I am assuming the goat feed would have the same problem. I had read that the Calf Manna was good for growing goats. I haven't heard good things about the Dumor for chicken or goat feed. Now that I have a choice, I switched my chickens to Layena. They have been on the Dumor for a few years. Would you recommend the Noble Goat, or the Purina Goat Chow. One of my goats is very good at picking out only what he wants, so I think I have to do the Noble Goat. Or is Purina Goat Chow pelleted? (I thought I read somewhere that is wasn't pelleted, but I don't know.) I need to do my stockup run this coming weekend so I can switch the goat feed too. I am down to about 1/4 of a bag of the Calf Manna, so it would be a good time to start transitioning them. They do have free choice hay (I keep the hay rack filled at all times), and have fat tummies on them every night. They have just been eating in the pasture more than eating the hay. I have noticed the only days they eat a lot of hay is if it is cold in the mornings or if it is raining.

 

[Roll farms]

I'd been feeding our kids the 16% Producer's Pride feed at TSC b/c it was medicated w/ Deccox...and our kids ate it well and grew well on it.

(Our milkers / adults get a mix I "make" for them...)

I tried the kids on Noble Goat, since it is medicated, and cheaper, and made by Purina, and has a good "rep"....starting the switch over about 3 weeks ago.
My kids just don't care for it at all. They were leaving feed in the pan and they've never done that. It didn't start until I stopped mixing the 2 together and went to the straight Noble Goat.

Now I'm putting a touch of sweet feed and a few kernals of corn in it and they're eating it a little better but I can tell they prefer the PP Deccox feed.

Since they're 9 mos. old and will soon be switched to adult rations, I'll keep this up.

Hopefully next year, I can start the new crop of kids on the Noble Goat and they'll eat it ok, since they won't have had anything different.

I think mine are just spoiled....

But I'd imagine your boys will balk at any new feed, since Calf Manna is so 'good'...heck, that stuff smells so tasty, even *I* want to try it sometimes.

You may have to switch over gradually, adding a little more of the Noble goat ea. time. (IF that's what you decide to go with...)