Providing salt/minerals

[watcher]

I have a young goat (long story) and have next to no idea on goats special needs. She's has access to plenty of grass, brush, trees and the like and I'm supplementing that with goat and sheep feed. She's fat and happy but I have been wondering about supplying her with salt/minerals.

I have a small problem because I was given a sheep, actually an unweaned lamb last Easter (an even longer story) and about two weeks ago I was given two miniature horses (a very, very long story). All of which hang out together which means I don't think I can just allow them unlimited access to minerals due to the fact sheep have a problem with copper.

My basic question is can the goat use standard, i.e. horse/cattle, mineral blocks or loose?

Any help on this?

[Pony]

Sure.

Goats will do well on cattle mineral, but (depending on your area) you may yet need to supplement with copper and selenium. There's a map around here somewhere that tells you which geographic areas are mineral deficient.

[Clovers_Clan]

One of those goat/sheep million dollar questions.

The goats and sheep cannot get enough mineral from a horse mineral block. Its too hard for their smooth tongues. Sheep and goat "blocks" are a waste of money for the same reason. The horses WILL need a salt/mineral block in order to get enough salt however.

Goats need more copper than what is safe for sheep, so they would need separate sources of loose mineral. Okay if the goats eat the sheep mineral. Toxic if the sheep eat the goat or cow mineral.

I don't have sheep with my goats so I can't speak from experience but... If you provide both the sheep and goat with free choice sheep mineral, and supplement the goat with either Replamin Plus OR copper bolus both should be safe and healthy.

Check the threads here for Replamin for size/age dosing. Some goats LOVE the taste of it and will gobble it up if you make a little sandwich of it with bread, mine do. Others turn up their noses and have to have it administered orally with a syringe.

Copper bolusing is done twice/three times a year. Don't be intimidated by the sounds of it. It can be done by pushing the tablet down with a cheap plastic calf boluser found at any feed store. And the goats don't put up any fuss. With just one goat it is economical to use Copasure.

Congrats on your mini menagerie! And remember on this forum, it didn't happen if there are no pictures. We goat people are simple in our needs... we NEED pictures. The cuter the better.

[Pony]

Originally Posted by Clovers_Clan

Congrats on your mini menagerie! And remember on this forum, it didn't happen if there are no pictures. We goat people are simple in our needs... we NEED pictures. The cuter the better.

Perzackly. This thread is useless without pictures!

[Backfourty,MI.]

Clovers Clan explained it pretty well already but I wanted to congratulate you on all the new animals & Pictures of ALL of them please!

[praieri winds]

all we put out for ours is the loose goat mineral we get at the feed store it has all the minerals they need

[o&itw]

The Onyx mineral that many of you use is acturally specified for Cattle. Is there too much copper in it for sheep?