question about minerals...

[full sun]

I have been using Hoeggers Golden Blend minerals. I was putting it out in a bucket, free choice. Someone always managed to mess it up by pooping in it! It seemed like a lot was wasted. So I have been top dressing the grain for the last few months. But I don't think it's working out: I had a goat get sick and die relatively recently (pneumonia but the necropsy results are still pending). And now i have a pregnant doe (due in 4 weeks) with a lousy looking coat. Her coat is rather dull and a bit course. Otherwise, she is good (maybe a bit thin). And I have another 2 that have copper issues. I am rexaming a few things and it hit me (kinda late in the does pregnancy, I know ) that I need to address this mineral issue....

So what's your favorite mineral? How do I find one that is high in copper? How do you serve it? Are nanny berries in the bucket a fact of life?

Thanks!
Jennifer

[pookshollow]

TSC (up here, anyway) has a stock salt that's high in copper - it's called Hi-Boot TM. Might be worth looking into - I'm feeding it to my gang right now.

As for the nanny berries in the bucket - hang the bucket a bit higher! That's what I had to do, and it seems to have worked. They manage to get their heads in it when they want, and it stays clean. Some day when I get ambitious, I'm going to make some of those nifty PVC mineral feeders that other people here have made.

I know some have suggested copper boluses or copper sulphate powder to get some into the goats more quickly. I haven't seen either readily available up here, but I did ask at one of the health food/supplement stores. They carry a copper supplement, but they were out at the time.

[full sun]

I have a variety of goat sizes (10 month ND as the smallest and a Saanen as the biggest) that make the bucket hanging tricky. I have done boluses, but the last one went down poorly. Unfortunately, one of my copper deficient girls is pretty hard to catch and handle. I do have a copper sulfate powder that I give once a week, but they HATE the way it smells, so they just avoid anything that I top dress with it. So I have to drench. Again, I dread dealing with Little Miss Wild...

Thanks for the TSC tip. I'll chek it out!

Jennfer

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

On here is Milkingmom on our site dairygoatinfo.com she is Cotton Eyed Does...to her friends she is Chris and she makes the coolest mineral feeders out of PVC pipe, I think there are photos of them on her website...she needs to sell these I would take a couple myself for kids. You do have to keep them in the barn out of the weather, but there is no waste with them.

Go off label, most cattle and horse minerals contain the over 1000pm of copper you need in a loose form without molassas. I use Bluebonnet (I get it from TSC) Tech Master Complete, it is a grey mineral with little iron ore in it (we don't need iron in our minerals because of the amount in our water and property).

You are correct your can blame alot of health issues, coat and worm issues on inadequate intake of quality minerals...and H just sells golden blend it's cheaper to buy it if you want to use it from them not h...Vicki