Can animals intuitively balance their diets? Earlier studies in this area said no, even though many organic and grassfed cattle producers have sworn by cafeteria-style minerals for a very long time. This article explains how earlier studies were flawed and how we now understand animals do balance their diets. This is also why you should never mix things (kelp, salt, etc) into your minerals. Animals should have more separate options available, not less, because individual nutrient needs between animals can also vary.

https://extension.usu.edu/behave/files/uploads/Fact_sheets_basic/Mineral%20Nutr.pdf

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  • The mass consumption of minerals has stopped. Apparently it was just a phase. Hopefully when the Selenium gets in we won't have this issue anymore. 

  • we'll see if the free-choice selenium helps. Thanks!

  • Selenium deficiency usually results in muscle issues -- and unfortunately in kidding it can mean weak uterine contractions and retained placenta. Hair issues are usually related to zinc or copper deficiency, and flaky skin is usually zinc.

  • I don't yet. I am going to order some tomorrow because I was worried it might be that. She doesn't have any outward sings of deficiency like hair loss, flaky skin or anything like that. She's always alert and chewing her cud, she has just been consuming vast amounts of of the mineral for the last 6 days. Up until this point she's just been munching on the mineral every so often. My other two does seem totally fine. It's very perplexing. 

  • Wow! I've never heard of a goat doing that. Sounds like she is really deficient in something -- but by consuming so much of the Sweetlix, she could certainly OD on something. Do you do anything extra for selenium?

  • I have a pregnant doe that I'm a little worried may be over-consuming her minerals. It's only been going on for a week, but she will lay next to the feeder and eat all the mineral. I'm only putting out around 1/4 cup a day because I don't want her to get sick off of it. 

    She will be 145 days on May 10th, and has been eating only alfalfa pellets in the morning, sometimes with a handful of BOSS mixed in, and she gets free-choice Orchard/Alfalfa hay and access to pasture 24/7.

    We use Sweetlix Meat Maker loose minerals and she gets 4 grams of COWP every 3-4 months.

    Should I start giving her some grain to help supplement her mineral needs? We buy the Dumor sweet goat feed for grain, but she hasn't had any since breeding her in December. This will be her 3rd freshening. 

    I'm just so afraid of making the babies too big and having difficulties with her birth! This will be my first goat birth. 

  • Thank you! Great article!

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