Forms of Goat Minerals
Disclaimer: Always consult a trained professional for health care needs. The following is my personal experiences, not medical advice.
Goats are very reliant on their minerals compared to sheep and cattle. So today we’ll break it down into three commonly found forms.
Forms
Mineral blocks can be a hung like a rock using a little rope or placed in a feeding dish. Two major downsides to these for goats are they consist primarily of salt and they are rock solid, making much work for your goat to get enough minerals with their soft tongues.
Mineral lick tubs are not easy for goats tongues to lick. In addition, some goats get stuck in the tub, it hardens, and then you would be stuck with trying to get a goat unstuck. They are more resistant to the weather though versus loose minerals.
Loose mineral mixes are ideal though you’ll want to find a good goat specific one that compliments your goats needs. You may need to additionally supplement with copper boluses and such.
- Alternatively, you could offer your goats a mineral buffet and let them self regulate (ideal for mixed herds). Mineral buffets are 20 loose minerals plus salt. The downside to this is the large start-up costs, particularly if you have separate herds for your does and bucks.