Loose Minerals

[Straw Hat Kikos]

Newbie question here, how do I offer the minerals? A bowl? How much at a time? I only have one goat. She is sad and lonely, I am working on another.

Here you go. Just fill it up or just give enough for a day or what I like best, a few days. That way it doesn't get nasty.

 

[Catahoula]

Newbie question here, how do I offer the minerals? A bowl? How much at a time? I only have one goat. She is sad and lonely, I am working on another.

Yes, I put mine in a small hanging feeder. I put about half a cup and add more when it gets low. I only have two right now so that's how I do it.

 

[20kidsonhill]

In smaller pens with just one or two goats, we just put it in a corner of a feeder that is already in the pen, or in a small separate hanging feeder like this one. http://www.jefferslivestock.com/mineral-feeder/camid/LIV/cp/FX-MF/ Or one like this that hangs over a fence. But the homemade feeder that Strawhat suggested is very nice as well.

 

[Goatherd]

But the homemade feeder that Strawhat suggested is very nice as well.

I made that feeder and it's not a favorite of mine at all. Maybe if you have a lot of goats it would be efficient, but with only a few, you have to put too much minerals in there to make it come up to a level where the goats can reach them. Even if you fill the bottom of the feeder with some other substance to fill the void of space, it's not an efficient and economical feeder. When the minerals get damp, and they will, the goats won't touch them and then you waste a lot of it when you have to replace them.

 

[s&kfatrms]

I just bought minerals today at my local feed store a 50# for $5.98

 

[Ironmonkey]

The Sweetlix MeatMaker has the best looking label, but honestly the goats don't seem to like it as much. Maybe it is adjusted so they don't eat as much, because the quality is better. Not sure about that. It also seems to absorb moisture worse than the other two minerals. And since I leave mine out in mineral feeders, not sure I like that. But they do seem to still eat it. And I have heard a lot of great reviews about it. And the Calcium to Phosphorus ratio is the best of the three. So this is my choice when I have my wethers still with mom and I am feeding everyone together in a big group.

I had the same experience with this. Looked great. Goats ignored it. Eventually the calves ate it. I'm actually going to the feed store today to get minerals to last through the winter. I have great soil here in N. California so when I'm feeding pasture and forage I don't seem to have many problems, but in the winter I have to supplement.

 

[Ironmonkey]

But the homemade feeder that Strawhat suggested is very nice as well.

I made that feeder and it's not a favorite of mine at all. Maybe if you have a lot of goats it would be efficient, but with only a few, you have to put too much minerals in there to make it come up to a level where the goats can reach them. Even if you fill the bottom of the feeder with some other substance to fill the void of space, it's not an efficient and economical feeder. When the minerals get damp, and they will, the goats won't touch them and then you waste a lot of it when you have to replace them.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y111/Michael3215/PICT1608.jpg

I use a hog feeder for my minerals.
You'll have to wire the lid up or remove it but it works great. They can get to every last scrap and during rainy times I only put enough in there to last a day or so, that way I don't waste mineral.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I think I paid $23 for a 25 lb bag of Sweetlix Magnum Milk loose minerals. I am in CA by the way.

I'm in So Cal and a 25# bag costs me about $15 bucks.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Lucky You!

I had contacted the company, but at the time at least, no one in the valley carried it.

Up near Sacramento...Ione and Jackson area I found it for $18 last year (bought 2 bags), but I don't head up that way often with gas costing me $150 round trip that way. My family lives in San Jose and can get it for me for $23 so I take what I can get...