Vitamins & Minerals

1. Sweetlix Magnum Milk Loose Minerals (free choice) Sweetlix has a good formulation of minerals without being overcrowded with too much salt, for your does.
2. Sweetlix also has Minerals for your herd in general. (See more specifics on good goat minerals available, below)
3. There are other brands of Goat specific minerals-buy one of the good ones.
4. Kelp/Herbamins (free choice) ...
5. Salt (free choice) Redmond Sea Salt
6. Replamin Gel (monthly) ...
7. Copper Bolus (quarterly or as needed in your area)

MINERALS ARE Vital to A GOAT’S DIET

Here are some of the symptoms associated with mineral deficiencies:

• Selenium deficiency: Weak muscles, trouble breathing, turned down/crooked tails, weak pasterns/slippery feet, infertility, miscarriages, weak kids.
• Zinc deficiency: Stiff joints, skin problems, low interest in breeding, deformed hooves, excessive salivating, flaky skin, poor coat condition
• Copper deficiency: Fishtail, dull coat, coarse hair, hair that curls at the end only, abortion, stillbirths, weight loss, low milk supply, balding around eyes or bridge of nose.
• Calcium & Phosphorus (usually found together) deficiency: Rickets, milk fever.
• Iodine deficiency: Goiters.
• Iron deficiency: Anemia, weakness.
• Sodium deficiency: Licking the ground or eating dirt.
• Manganese deficiency: Slow growth in kids, reduced fertility and stillbirths.
• Boron: joint problems, arthritis

Feeding Your Goats:

The most important feature of goats diet should be free-choice, good quality hay or forage. However, they don't need the higher protein or calcium levels found in alfalfa or legume hay, so should be fed quality grass hay instead.

GRAIN RATIONS

For growing kids and wethers, a higher protein grain ration (16% goat pellet) is appropriate until they’re about 6 – 8 months old. Limit grain rations to no more than 1 cup per goat two times daily unless they are pregnant or in milk. The calcium to phosphorus ratio should be similar to the two to one ratio of calcium to phosphorus in the goat mineral supplement.

It’s highly recommended that any grain ration fed to bucks and wethers of any age (bucks also sometimes need to be fed grain during breeding season to maintain condition) contain ammonium chloride, which helps prevent urinary calculi. Many like Kalmbach Game Plan Starter/Developer which has 16% protein, a coccidiostat, and ammonium chloride.

If you buy a 16% goat pellet from the local mill as I do, be sure to also get a few lbs of ammonium chloride for your bucks and wethers to prevent urinary calculi developing and killing them (happens quickly). Add a teaspoon to their goat ration daily, for 2 or more male goats.

Recommended Brands of Goat Minerals

Sweetlix is  Standardized allowing consistent nutrition between products. What this means, perhaps you want to use the different Sweetlix Mineral products for specific needs at specific times. All of the Sweetlix mineral blends start with a standard mixture which is the 16:8 Sheep and Goat Mineral. Each of the other mixes have specific nutritional additives mixed into the standard mix.

#1 Sweetlix 16:8 Sheep and Goat Mineral

• Highly palatable, self-fed mineral for goats comingled with sheep (personally I never use this one because I have no sheep or other animals in with my goats. *Goats have an established need for copper, whereas sheep can be sensitive to copper toxicity. This product contains no added copper. When feeding this product to goats for extended periods, an alternative source of copper is recommended.) 
• Numerous enzymes necessary for reproduction, immunity and growth need copper. In addition, copper is necessary for proper metabolism of iron, maintenance of connective tissue, pigmentation of skin and hair, maturation of hoof tissue, and many other functions. 
• Proper copper nutrition is essential for a healthy immune system in goats. Copper is needed for proper development of antibodies and white blood cells in addition to antioxidant enzyme production. Copper deficient goats are more susceptible to infections and do not respond as well to vaccinations. In addition, they tend to be less resistant to parasitic challenge. Goats receiving proper copper nutrition tend to be less susceptible to infections and have less severe infections when disease does occur.

#2 Sweetlix Meat Maker^® 16:8 Mineral

• This is the mineral blend most used for goats. 
• Contains all the nutrients and minerals needed specifically for goats.
• Added RainBloc for improved resistance to moisture
• Not medicated

#3 Sweetlix Meat Maker^® 16:8 Mineral With Monovet^®

• ^{Recommended to be used if you have kids.}  
• For the prevention of coccidiosis caused by Eimeria crandallis, Eimeria chistenseni and Eimeria ninakohlyakimovae in goats.
• Medicated with Monovet which is monensin Type A,
  for the prevention of coccidiosis
• Same great formula as the Meat Maker 16-8 non-medicated version, with Monovet added.
• Is said to improve feed efficiency, milk production efficiency and prevent coccidiosis in goats.
• Here's why AppleJo Farms does not use this Mineral with Monovet^{® or Rumensin®  at all. Many sources say not to do so if you have lactating goats. https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/ states: "Do not feed to lactating goats." Lactating goats fed with Monovet or Rumensin results in decreased milk fat secretion relative to milk volume. The research document for reading may be found here: https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(87)80079-6/pdf}
• ^{Caution: monensin/rumensin/monovet — is a potentially fatal drug for horses. Ingestion of monensin by horses has been fatal.}

#4 Sweetlix Meat Maker® 16-8 w/Rumensin®

• Monensin or Monovet^®
  is the generic of Rumensin (Not certain if Sweetlix is keeping both formulas)
• Medicated for prevention of coccidiosis.

#5 SWEETLIX® Magnum-Milk Mineral

• For all classes of dairy goats
• Designed especially for the needs of lactating dairy goats
• Provides a 1:1 calcium to phosphorus ratio to supplement alfalfa diets
• SWEETLIX Magnum Milk Mineral should be self-fed as the sole source of salt or minerals and vitamins. 

Other Good Goat Minerals

BioZyme Inc. is the maker of 2 different Goat Mineral products:

#1 Vita-Ferm Goat Mineral

• A complete vitamin-mineral supplement for goats of all conditions and applications with the Amaferm advantage. Can be fed free choice or blend with ration.  Includes balanced levels of high quality minerals and vitamins formulated for maximum absorption. Meets or exceeds the National Research Council Requirements for Goats. 50 lb bag.

#2 DURAFERM^® GOATDURAFERM^® GOAT Mineral 

• A free-choice vitamin and mineral supplement for goats specifically designed to target cycling, embryo production and conception when fed 30 days prior to kidding through breeding.
• Especially beneficial in A.I. and E.T. breeding programs.

Where to purchase: You may search for a local dealer by using the following link https://vitaferm.com/find-a-dealer/

• I have success going to a Feed Coop or Feed Mills, not part of a chain store. They are more willing to order specially for you the products you want for your goats.

Another excellent Mineral:

Kalmbach 2:1 Goat Mineral

25 lb. bag.

Product Code: 6320

A mineral formulated to be fed free-choice to meat and dairy goats.