NW folks - what mineral supplement do you use?

[brettz]

Anyone on the we(s)t side of the cascades have input on their mineral choice? I have my herd on sweetlix meat maker right now but my vet recommended switching simply to a trace mineral salt block when I was asking her about preventing urinary calculi. I have a mixed group of a dry doe, young wethers and nursing does with kids. I also feed free choice kelp meal, sunflower seeds as a treat, diamond xp probiotic powder and primarily Eastern Oregon grass with some alfalfa supplemented.

[GoldenWood Farm]

I have been using a good salt mineral and then giving Replamin Plus each week. Before I was using Right Now Onyx by Cargill that I had to special order. I am actually contemplating adding it back in addition to the Replamin Plus gel, still thinking about that .

I live just 20 minutes outside of Portland if that helps any. The herd also gets Chaffhaye, Eastern Oregon Orchard grass hay with the milking does and kids getting grain.

Justine

[Goat Servant]

We also use Cargill Right Now, special ordered. It has 2000 ppm copper. In the past it was Sweetlix, but the Right Now is much better.
They don't get enough out of blocks.
What you want for your wethers is a good ratio of calcium & phosphorus. Someone else can tell you what that is it escapes me at the moment.

[brettz]

What is it that you like about the Cargill supplement? I've read that a lot of folks are using that but I've never seen it in the feed stores. I know there is a local company out of McMinville that produces animal feed (Beaver brand) and I read they have a goat supplement. It's very economical compared to other brands but I don't know if that would be sacrificing quality. It's appealing because I would imagine it's geared towards our soil here.

And I am also outside of Portland - maybe 45 min SE

Do you like the chaffhaye? I have seen it at the fairs/livestock events but have not tried it out yet. I was thinking about it though because I want to feed my milking gals alfalfa but I don't want to give it to the boys or the fat fat dry doe. I want to see more weight on my moms and less weight on the freeloaders out there since everyone eats together. Since the chaffhaye seems more concentrated I was thinking I could add it to their feeding on the milk stand (along with grain) and then that should be enough for them to be able to browse on the pasture and munch orchard grass with the fatties.

Regarding the wethers, I am pretty motivated to keep these dudes healthy. I have lost a pygmy to U.C. a long time ago and don't want to go through that again. That's actually what sparked my interest in possibly switching up my supplements because I was talking to my vet about a good diet for the boys and she recommended against sweetlix and for a simple trace mineral salt. I ordered the book on feeding wethers by Carolyn Eddy and just received it so I'll be reading that and trying to implement her recommendations for them since she specializes in wethers. Ideally, I'd like to find a management that will work for such a mixed group with the milkers being able to get their additional needs met on the stand. A simpler solution would be to sell the wethers but they were the first kids born on the property and are in-your-pocket kind of guys so I have really drug my feet on posting them for sale.

[GoldenWood Farm]

Originally Posted by brettz

What is it that you like about the Cargill supplement? I've read that a lot of folks are using that but I've never seen it in the feed stores. I know there is a local company out of McMinville that produces animal feed (Beaver brand) and I read they have a goat supplement. It's very economical compared to other brands but I don't know if that would be sacrificing quality. It's appealing because I would imagine it's geared towards our soil here.

It isn't that I liked Cargill more than other brands. Cargill Onyx is much higher in copper than most other brands of loose mineral and since I live in such a copper deficient area that I need higher copper in my minerals. I also heard a lot of good things from people on here about the Cargill Right Now Onyx and when I switched my herd to is I noticed a HUGE difference. I still needed to copper bolus but even just switching the minerals made a change in their coat and overall health.

And I am also outside of Portland - maybe 45 min SE

Do you like the chaffhaye? I have seen it at the fairs/livestock events but have not tried it out yet. I was thinking about it though because I want to feed my milking gals alfalfa but I don't want to give it to the boys or the fat fat dry doe. I want to see more weight on my moms and less weight on the freeloaders out there since everyone eats together. Since the chaffhaye seems more concentrated I was thinking I could add it to their feeding on the milk stand (along with grain) and then that should be enough for them to be able to browse on the pasture and munch orchard grass with the fatties.

Chaffhaye is amazing, I am in love with it. When feeding Chaffhaye you are replacing your alfalfa, Chaffhaye is 3-5lbs per every 100lbs of goat. I think also you can go by how much the doe is milking per day and then just average the amount through out the herd. I tried giving Chaffhaye with their grain and it didn't work. I now give it right after their morning milking, I spread it between several feeders and right now I go through about 25lbs for 7 does. I am not doing an exact math with it right now and I watch the milk production and weight on everyone. They also get a good orchard grass in the evening (a few flakes) as well as their pasture. The pasture is drying up and has gone to seed so the protein content has gone down somewhat. I actually need to start supplementing with hay a little more now because of this.

As far as Chaffhaye being more concentrated, it isn't. Chaffhaye is alfalfa that has been chopped finer and then sprayed very lightly with molasses to allow a fermentation process to happen. The bags can last for up to 16 months unopened without going bad.

As far as worrying about giving Chaffhaye to the bucks it is perfectly safe to feed to them. People freak out about giving alfalfa or calcium to bucks but what really causes issues is to much grain. Well what it the issue REALLY is, is that the ratio between phosphorus and calcium gets thrown off which causes stones to form and leads to UC. A gal I know and respect feeds straight alfalfa year round to her entire herd including all her bucks. She has been doing this for 12 years now and I have yet to hear about a case of UC in her herd due to the alfalfa.

Regarding the wethers, I am pretty motivated to keep these dudes healthy. I have lost a pygmy to U.C. a long time ago and don't want to go through that again. That's actually what sparked my interest in possibly switching up my supplements because I was talking to my vet about a good diet for the boys and she recommended against sweetlix and for a simple trace mineral salt. I ordered the book on feeding wethers by Carolyn Eddy and just received it so I'll be reading that and trying to implement her recommendations for them since she specializes in wethers. Ideally, I'd like to find a management that will work for such a mixed group with the milkers being able to get their additional needs met on the stand. A simpler solution would be to sell the wethers but they were the first kids born on the property and are in-your-pocket kind of guys so I have really drug my feet on posting them for sale.

Wethers, my vet (Dr. Laura Acton) told me the BEST thing you can do with wethers if keep their diet a variety. Not meaning you are always switching it up but once in a while offer a hand full of grain, give them a bit of alfalfa for a change every so often. Also a good variety of browse is GREAT for wethers.

I used to run wethers with my herd of milking does. It is HARD to find something that works for feeding everyone. It most certainly can be done but I had issues with the wethers getting so fat I had to move them in with my bucks. I know people who run their wethers in with their does just fine, I ended up selling my boys off because I wasn't putting them to work and I didn't want to keep feeding mouths that wouldn't give me milk.

I wrote in bold .

Justine

[brettz]

Justine, we have the same vet! I think Dr. Acton is one of the best vets I've ever met (definitely the best goat vet but I mean the best of any large or small animal vet). She did say variety was key. I am in a bit of a conundrum with my plans for breeding in the fall as I am in my first year of goat ownership and hoping to avoid owning a buck this year but I have a couple does to breed and am having a hard time finding a quality Nigerian buck for stud locally. So, if I end up with a buck, I'd like to move my wethers in with him just to keep things simple. I agree that it's difficult to balance such needs in a large group. She also said activity was key as well so I am working on getting my property fenced to allow the goats access to all sorts of browse, as well and plenty of room to get out and move. If the boys were not the size of large cats I'd try to pack train them to get them a bit more activity.

And I am going to try out Chaffhaye, with such a ringing endorsement. I'd been meaning to give it a shot but I think it sounds like a good idea based on your feedback.

Do you order the Right Now Onxy through your feed store?

Thanks for all of your input!

[GoldenWood Farm]

I was able to order Right Now Onyx through Coastal Farm & Ranch. They carry Cargill normally so I was able to have them special order me a bag.

I know a gal near me who has some real nice quality bucks (actually two gals) who you might be able to breed your girls to this year. Normally I myself have a ND buck but I sold my boy off last year as he was getting older and I won't have a new one until next Spring.

Justine
PS: Dr. Acton is amazing! I don't always go to her since she switched to the Silverton vet's office. I have a vet now I work with through Woodburn Vet Clinic who I trust as well but if I ever wasn't sure Dr. Acton is who I would be seeing next.

[brettz]

Perfect, I shop at a local family-owned feed store for most of my feed but I run into town to hit up Coastal regularly so I will see if I can order it through them.

Sorry for all of the questions but where do you purchase your Chaffhaye?

And I would be very interested in chatting with any folks who may have a buck who'd like a date with a Nigerian doe or two this fall. I may hold off on breeding most of my girls until next spring but I have one specifically I'd like to breed this fall. She's well-bred and I'd like to maintain that but it's so tough to be picky about bloodlines when most folks keep closed herds (and understandably so).

I've heard that same thing about the Woodburn vet from the breeder I got my second doe from. She is the one who turned me on to Dr. Acton in the first place but she goes to Woodburn for the same reason now. Silverton is actually closer to me so I got lucky.

[GoldenWood Farm]

I purchase my Chaffhaye from Union Mills which is in Mulino but there is another Chaffhaye dealer in Salem (who also breeds ND's).

One gal I know let's people breed to her bucks as long as they are clean and tested. She has a lot of Camanna in her lines. The other gal is BellaFire Nigerian Dwarfs who is out of.....Troutdale? I am probably wrong I have to look it up for sure. I am buying a buck from her next Spring actually. I don't know if she allows outside breeding or not.

Justine

[brettz]

I would be interested in chatting with the Camanna gal. My first doe is a Camanna doe and, not even knowing much about goats yet, I can tell she had some very nice kids this year. I was actually looking at a BellaFire buckling on their website earlier this spring and was so close to giving them a call to go check him out but I practiced self-restraint and didn't do it and someone else bought the dude I was interested in. Which was a bummer and a relief all at once.

Thank you again!

[GoldenWood Farm]

I pm'd you .

Justine

[poppypatchFarm]

Don't know of anyone with good bucks for stud but do know of a Nigerian buckling in the Vancouver WA area which is not far from you that might still be available. This guy is a very rare deal($325) because the breeder wants to move him ASAP for lack of space. His dam is a GCH and just appraised EEEE 91. His sire just appraised with a 90 and his dam is also a finished champion. Clean herd.

I picked up two other bucklings from them last week. We didn't take this guy because he is too closely related to our herd(his sire came from our herd). If anyone might be interested PM me. We have 3 very nice bucklings also but they are likely too young to use this Fall but this other buckling is older.

[Frosted Mini's]

Good golly, what farm is he from, and do they have a website??

[FrogHornFarm]

Hey, Friends. I'm new to the forum and stumbled into this thread a couple of days ago. I quickly signed up for membership so I could join your discussion. I've got two ND bucks I'm using for driveway breedings and both are from super lines.
Elfin Acres Farm Tamarack~Sire is Purple Camas Farm Fabio and dam is The Lilac Twinkletoes 1*M of Elfin Acres Farm. Lilac just finished her Championship last week and in her first milk test of this year at 42 days, she produced 7.1 pounds of milk! 2013 appraisal score EEEV91.
Diji Farm Pal's Pre-Nup~Sire is SGCH Buttin'Heads Palimony ++*B and dam is Diji Farm CR Salina 1*M. Her 2013 appraisal score was EEVE90.

I only allow my boys to breed does with proof of negative CAE, CL and Johnes dated within the previous six months. No boarding; driveway breeding only. $75 per breeding. I will consider discounts for multiple does from the same owner. Please inquire if you have any questions. Thanks!

[FrogHornFarm]

Originally Posted by FrogHornFarm

Hey, Friends. I'm new to the forum and stumbled into this thread a couple of days ago. I quickly signed up for membership so I could join your discussion. I've got two ND bucks I'm using for driveway breedings and both are from super lines.
Elfin Acres Farm Tamarack~Sire is Purple Camas Farm Fabio and dam is The Lilac Twinkletoes 1*M of Elfin Acres Farm. Lilac just finished her Championship last week and in her first milk test of this year at 42 days, she produced 7.1 pounds of milk! 2013 appraisal score EEEV91.
Diji Farm Pal's Pre-Nup~Sire is SGCH Buttin'Heads Palimony ++*B and dam is Diji Farm CR Salina 1*M. Her 2013 appraisal score was EEVE90.

I only allow my boys to breed does with proof of negative CAE, CL and Johnes dated within the previous six months. No boarding; driveway breeding only. $75 per breeding. I will consider discounts for multiple does from the same owner. Please inquire if you have any questions. Thanks!

Just realized I didn't include my location. Sorry! I'm in Oregon City, only about five minutes off I-205 and very convenient to anywhere in the Portland/Vancouver area. I work from home and have a very flexible schedule, so breedings could be done any day of the week. Thanks!

[jwal10]

Still no feed back on the Beaver brand minerals? We feed Onyx, get it from Coastal Farm, for years. Never a problem but we don't keep wethers for long. The little feed store near here sells Beaver brand rabbit food. DS buys from them sometimes. Quality is on and off, sometimes so dry it turns to dust. He has to sieve it and still shake the feeders to keep the feed flowing, sometimes. Feeders are the screen type. Never used the goat mineral, don't even know if they carry it. A friend drops off the Onyx when she picks hers up at the new store in Corvallis. We try to only keep 3 little Pygora does....James