If not free-choice, then how much minerals?

[snoozy]

I have 4 small Nigerian-Boer cross goats. I bought some Manna Pro goat minerals, but I don't have a feeder/dispenser for it yet. I thought I could just spoon some onto their alfalfa pellets until I get a dispenser set up. How much should I give them daily?

[dragonchick]

It really depends on what kind of minerals. Goats usually take what they need and that need is not always the same. If you have a covered location you can put a little of the mineral in a bowl. You can refresh it daily by adding a little bit to it if needed. If you don't see them eating it after a few days, either they don't need it or they don't like it.

[Briza]

Since most minerals have a high level of salt adding them to the feed will discourage them from eating the ration. Check the salt level before just adding to feed.
A plastic bowl from a dime store can be screwed onto a post in their house and will work just fine if you put it high enough that they cannot soil it by backing into it.
Place a block of wood or concrete under it so they have to stand up to lick it that way they will not poop in it and then refuse to eat it.
B~

[mygoat]

Also wanted to say, if it has too high of a salt content they won't eat enough of the minerals to make any good difference. Goats eat minerals to get the salt, but if their salt needs are filled quickly, they'll stop eating it.

[Backfourty,MI.]

I agree with above posters. They need to be able to get it when they need it. I have my dishes screwed into the walls of there lean too's & in the barn. It's a two sided dish I got from TSC but a plastic dish you can get a screw through will be fine. Not too big though & they shouldn't stand in it, at least mine don't.

[farmer kate]

I'm using an 8 inch cinderblock on its side for the minerals. It's just on the floor of the stall, but it's so heavy they don't seem to be interested in playing with it. I filled one hole with the mineral mixture, and they can get their noses right in there to the bottom. When I did it I thought it was only temporary and worried about them scratching their noses on the cinderblock, but it's working so well I'm not too motivated to make something else.

The woman from whom I bought the goats had a nice contraption made from PVC. A long 6" piece could be filled from (her) waist height; its was bolted securely to a post in the barn. At about 12" from the floor, a 270 degree angled PVC connector attached a short piece of six inch PVC, so that this shorter piece now pointed upward at an angle; the goats can easily reach the minerals, which would then resettle from the main pipe into the extension. (Imagine the main pipe running straight up and down from your waist to just below your knee, then turning sharply upward like a letter J. The goats access the minerals from the bottom, curved area of the 'J'). She has quite a few goats, and this allowed her to put out a full bag at one time without it being spilled.

kate

[kitty]

Give them one ounce per day.

[ozark_jewels]

Something extremely fast can be put up by just hanging a small feeder from a cattle panel or nailing it to the wall at goat nose height.