Mineral discussion: what do you think of this one?

I have been feeding Sweetlix Meat Maker and my goats love it but I can't get it here in Asheville. A friend who lives a couple of hours away was bringing it up for me when she came over (from her feed store). Anyway, I found this mineral at my local organic feed store:

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Countryside Organics Healthy Minerals for Goats

Calcium, maximum 9.50% Calcium, minimum 8.50% Phosphorus, minimum 4.00% Salt, maximum 12.00% Salt, minimum 11.00% Magnesium, minimum 3.00% Copper (PPM), minimum 3000 INGREDIENTS Dried Organic Kelp, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Magnesium Oxide, Sodium Silico Aluminate, Diatomaceous Earth, Sulfur, Garlic, Dehydrated Apple Cider Vinegar, Copper Sulfate, Selenium Yeast. FEEDING DIRECTIONS Healthy Minerals is to be fed as a free-choice mineral and vitamin supplement. Average intake should be 1 to 4 ounces per head per day, depending upon the mineral requirements of the animal. WARNING: This product contains copper in an amount that may be toxic to sheep. DO NOT FEED TO SHEEP. Net Weight – 50 Lb. (22.68 KG)

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One thing I noticed is there is no ZINC in it. And the other is it does not list the amount of Selenium in it but only that it contains Selenium Yeast. I feed free choice selenium anyway so that may not be an issue. Also, is the copper content TOO high? I have to copper bolus my goats because I have high iron in my water. This has significantly more coper in it than the sweetlix.

Is there something I could give my goats to supplement them for zinc if I feed this to them?

The lack of zinc would definitely have me concerned, and the copper level is a little scary. Years ago when I was trying to figure out the copper thing with my goats, I found a published case study of a herd where about 5 goats died of copper toxicity. They were eating a cattle mineral with 3000 ppm copper. It was a herd of around 100 goats, so 95 of them were smart enough to not consume too much of the mineral, but that means they were probably deficient in other minerals.

I would also be concerned about the lack of selenium except that you have that free choice.

I recently bought zinc powder and was giving it some of my goats with hair loss. It didn't seem to make a difference as goats in both groups (zinc and no zinc) regrew hair at the same rate. I was thinking of mixing it with something like the wheat middlings in the selenium supplement to create my own free choice zinc, but I haven't done it yet. It needs to be a different carrier than what is in the selenium. When they've done research on goats' ability to self regulate, they learned that each of the minerals needs to taste different. I thought about mixing the zinc with oat bran, but then I worried that the goats might just want to eat the oat bran. The more I think about it, the trickier it gets.

Replies

Deborah Niemann-Boehle April 21, 2015 at 9:23am

It's really sad that they're labeled as "organic" and don't have a balanced mineral. I called the nearest organic mill to me, which is three hours away, and asked about their goat ration, and it contains ZERO copper! It's a goat and sheep mix. I tried to tell them that goats need copper, and I was told that their nutritionist is highly trained and knows what he's doing. :( And so I buy conventional grain.

I asked my local feed coop to order the Sweetlix for me 8 years ago, and they did. I used to have to tell them a week ahead of time when I needed it, but there are enough goat people in the area now that they carry it all the time.

On a similar note, I was able to get them to custom mix grain to my specifications, which has saved me about 40% off the price of grain at TSC. They have to have a minimum order of 2000 pounds, but there are now four of us in the area with goats, so between us, we're able to meet that minimum.
Emily April 21, 2015 at 9:11am

No one in my area carries sweetlix either Julia. I had to order it from Jeffers and pay ridiculous shipping on it, but it was worth it because I've seen such a difference in my goats since I switched to sweetlix.

Julia @Woody Glen Farm said:

Thanks Deborah, yeah that's what I was thinking too. I guess I need to find a distributor for Sweetlix somewhere in my region.
Julia @Woody Glen Farm April 21, 2015 at 6:41am

Thanks Deborah, yeah that's what I was thinking too. I guess I need to find a distributor for Sweetlix somewhere in my region.
Deborah Niemann-Boehle April 20, 2015 at 9:42pm

The lack of zinc would definitely have me concerned, and the copper level is a little scary. Years ago when I was trying to figure out the copper thing with my goats, I found a published case study of a herd where about 5 goats died of copper toxicity. They were eating a cattle mineral with 3000 ppm copper. It was a herd of around 100 goats, so 95 of them were smart enough to not consume too much of the mineral, but that means they were probably deficient in other minerals.

I would also be concerned about the lack of selenium except that you have that free choice.

I recently bought zinc powder and was giving it some of my goats with hair loss. It didn't seem to make a difference as goats in both groups (zinc and no zinc) regrew hair at the same rate. I was thinking of mixing it with something like the wheat middlings in the selenium supplement to create my own free choice zinc, but I haven't done it yet. It needs to be a different carrier than what is in the selenium. When they've done research on goats' ability to self regulate, they learned that each of the minerals needs to taste different. I thought about mixing the zinc with oat bran, but then I worried that the goats might just want to eat the oat bran. The more I think about it, the trickier it gets.

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