I have Purina Goat Minerals in a plastic feed bin like the one pictured below. The problem I'm having is that the minerals absorb water from the air and become basically a solid block. This morning I went out and actually found a puddle of standing water in the feeder.
Does anybody know any tricks to keep these dry? I've tried putting in less at a time but they solidify within 48 hours.
Thanks.
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That's the exact same mineral feeder we use. I have never heard of it with standing water in it. That's amazing. That's never happened here, and we have humidity that's 80-90% in August. I can't imagine humidity alone causing that.
If you have smaller amounts of minerals in there, it should not be that hard to break them up with a fork or screwdriver or something like that. They don't have to be totally loose for the goats to consume them. As long as the crumbles are small enough to fit in their mouth, that will work. You just don't want a huge, rock-solid mineral block that can only be consume by constant licking or scraping with the lower front teeth (which can wind up chipping a tooth).
Having a small amount in there is also important because excessive humidity can cause the selenium to leach out. You should probably be sure that the bag of minerals is either kept closed as tightly as possible, or put them in an airtight plastic container.
The feeder is inside the barn which stays dry.
The drainage holes are a good idea.
I'm thinking of putting some kind of absorbent material on the bottom as well.
I've noticed my minerals do become a bit sticky from humidity, but I've never seen standing water. Sometimes the goats go right from the water to the mineral feeder, so they might be dripping water in from their mouths. Are you keeping the tubs outside, open to the elements? You might try putting it under shelter if so. You could also drill a few drainage holes in the bottom.