Domestic goats have some limitations. Their biggest being getting enough nutrition. If animals can’t roam free then they will get deficient in certain nutrients because they won’t be able to get them due to the limited space.
Goats need a salt lick. Domestic goats do not get enough minerals in their diets due to limited supplies in their pastors. This makes them prone to mineral deficiencies. Mineral supplements provide much of these for easy access to goats.
Goats need more than just salt licks though in order to remain healthy. We will be discussing the minerals and ways to provide them in this article.
How Goats Get Minerals
Goats in the wild get their minerals by finding what they need and consuming them. As a goat starts to get deficient in a certain nutrient it will start roaming around looking for it. They will lick the ground, chew dirt, or even drink their own urine in order to get the minerals they need.
Domestic goats don’t have these options. All of the minerals are funneled into the grasses that the goats are eating. This diminishes the overall mineral content available to the goats. Over time this will lead to deficiencies. So how best to combat this?
There are three ways to help combat this. Giving goats a salt lick is a good way to help goats get some of their minerals. A goat’s tongue will not transfer enough minerals to its body. Salt licks are not an effective way of getting goats the minerals they need. This would be comparable to us licking broccoli. It’s a good start, but we really have to eat it before broccoli becomes helpful.
The best thing to do for goats is to give them loose minerals. These come in a variety of brands and compositions. Domestic goats need copper and selenium most often. Do not feed sheep copper or selenium. This will kill them. Sheep are less prone to these deficiencies than goats are. So they do not need nearly as much.
The ability to eat the minerals makes the goats much more able to absorb the minerals. Many of the common deficiencies goats experience are found in loose minerals that you can buy and put out for your goats.
The third option is a lick tub. These are tubs filled with baked molasses that are high in vitamins and minerals. These are a good mix of licks and chewing. Goats will lick this and try to chew it. Bits may break off that the goats will be able to eat instead of just licking.
So it’s a better option than the salt lick, but not as good as the loose minerals. I have included a video that explains this all very well.
Minerals Goats Need
Goats need a number of minerals to properly function. Each mineral has a different purpose. These minerals include cobalt, copper, iodine, iron manganese, salt, selenium, sodium, sulfur, and zinc. We’re going to talk briefly about all of these.
Cobalt is important to goats because it encourages vitamin B12 absorption and wool production. If a goat is short in cobalt it will exhibit a lack of appetite. If a goat is short in cobalt while it is young it will have shunted growth.
Copper prevents anemia. Lack of copper causes an abnormal coat (including wool) in animals. Goats will eat wood and try to eat metal in an effort to get more copper into their system. It also hurts their immune system. In small animals, it will cause development issues in bones.
Iodine deficiencies will result in the swelling of the thyroid gland, decrease the metabolic rate of goats, cause hair loss, and dry skin.
Manganese increases the metabolism and helps in protein utilization.
Salt helps with fluid balance in goats.
Selenium is very important to your goat’s immune system and helps it respond faster to dangers.
Sodium is important for proper muscle function fluid absorption.
Sulfur keeps your goat’s DNA be strong and protected.
Zinc functions as a sort of combination of sulfur, manganese, and selenium.
These are the most common minerals for a goat to be deficient in. To know what your goats are in need of you will need to know your soil compositions. You might be able to look this up online. You can have your soil tested too for a more accurate understanding.
Since there are a lot of minerals that your goat will stand in need of we need to talk about the best way to get your goats their minerals.
Ways To Encourage Mineral Consumption
The best way to get your goats the minerals they need is to give them a free-range of loose minerals.
Buy yourself a feeder. Either a big tub or a specialized feeder. A big tub is easiest and works well, however, if you need more specialized feeding for your goats go with a feeder. These have the ability to control how much mineral is available at one time. So you can control how your and when your goats get their minerals.
Then buy your goats the kind of minerals they need. These are often found in composites together. You could crush up salt licks if you’re into that, but it’s easier to just buy crushed minerals and feed those to your goats.
Put the tub or feeder in a place where the goats can get to it easily and all the time. Put the feeder at about the height of the head of your goat.
Something to keep in mind with the tubs. Goats like to stand on things. And goats poop. Don’t let your goats eat their own poo. This is a perk of the feeder. You don’t have to worry about goats pooping in their minerals.
Make sure you don’t give sheep copper and selenium. Keep any feeders that contain these two minerals away from the sheep. Unless you are absolutely sure your sheep are deficient in copper and selenium. If you are unsure, consult a vet. They will know for sure what your goat needs.
In closing, remember that while salt licks are good, they are not as good as loose minerals. Make sure you are giving your goats the minerals they need. Otherwise, your goats and sheep will experience health problems.