AlaskanShepherdess
Ridin' The Range
Hello! (this is a long post so I provided a summarization below for your convenience. )
I REALLY want to provide my goats with organic (as in utilized by a plant or animals before we eat it) vitamins and minerals as much as possible because of their better utilization by the body and lower risk of OD'ing or having too much stored in the body (organic minerals are not stored in the body when there is excess they are simply passed out. Inorganic minerals, like most standard mixes very little is properly used by the body and excesses can be stored in the body). I do it for myself so why not for my goats. My problem is, there isn't many of us out there. :/ So I'm going on what little information I have plus how my goats look and feel, which I've only had goats for 6 months..... So I'm looking for opinions/advice on if you think kelp (I use Thorvin), and maybe some nutritional yeast and others are enough minerals, or if not which minerals would I have to provide more of?
I live in the interior of Alaska, which is selenium deficient and I think copper deficient. Or it may not be copper deficient, it may be just because we have WAY too much iron in the land, which according to the reading I have done excessive iron restricts copper absorption.
I plan to use Diamond V selenium yeast (if I can manage to get some!) paired with wheat germ to replace Bo-Se, which I will only give if I ABSOLUTELY have to (the Bo-Se). I really don't want to give them that, and have found research saying that selenium yeast has been found to be just as effective as a nonorganic source of selenium (like Bo-Se) Oh, and interestingly once I started giving my goats kelp, the few signs of selenium deficiency they had for sure disappeared!
I have NO idea yet what to do about the copper, and I have signs of copper deficiency. I really don't want to do boluses, and if possible again... Something organic.
I have 6 Nigerian Dwarf's, 4 does, 1 buck and 1 buckling (soon to be whether), and absolutely adore them! I currently have no does in milk, 2 are due in early Feb, one early April and one will soon be bred because we had to put the bucks and does together because it reached -20 below last week and my doe house is large and not yet insulated. The buck house is small and insulated.
I need some help figuring out the correct protein/mineral/grain ratios they need, so here is what I am currently doing.
I wasn't giving them any grain until two days ago when I realized that one of my does due in Feb was beginning to show symptoms of ketosis/toxemia (?). So I gave her BS molasses water, kelp, and now I am giving all of them 1 qt yogurt container of barley for all 6. (started sprouting some today so soon it will be sprouted barley) I eventually want to get some oats to add to that, and as I garden more I want to grow my own BOSS, flax seeds and whatever else I want to add that I can grow here. (open to hear what ya'll feed and grow for them! But I like to keep grain to a minimum)
Alfalfa does not grow up here, and it cost over $15 for a 65lb bale just to get it within 400 miles of me, so I don't get any alfalfa for them I buy local EXCELLENT brome, I guess I'll have to up my protein and calcium in other areas. I can buy alfalfa pellets, and plan on giving them small amounts (at the very least the does in milk/pregnant) but I don't know how much, and I want to keep my costs down....
I was reading somewhere that a goat should be getting about 5lb of "food" a day (I'm assuming it meant large goats, so ND's I'm sure are about half that) so I'm kind of concerned that they all are content with 2 medium sized flakes of hay a day, so long as they are getting the kelp every day. If I don't give them the kelp (half a cup each) then they want/need more hay. I don't feed them all they want like most people, because I have found that they are content on about half the hay they would eat if I gave them all they want. And actually since I added in the barley the last 2 days they've even had hay leftover in the bin when I take more out. They aren't shivering, and seem to be doing well. I was having issues with them all being overweight a month ago, but now I think only one is still overweight.
I was reading on the Holistic Goat group on Yahoo about the health effects of sulfured BS molasses. The lady gave 3 C a day split between her 12 Oberhases. (SP) I've been reading really mixed opinions about this, some don't ever give their goats anything sweet, and some swear that goats must have molasses, and saw some research on how the sulfur is needed to help keep high levels of friendly flora in the goats stomach. So looking for ya'lls opinions and how much you give your goats.
Sorry this is long and mixed up so I'll summarize.
1. I need organic (as in herbs, yeasts, not salts, mined minerals etc) sources for all of my mineral needs. (I will use nonorganic if I have to, or it's just to costly) I am already providing Thorvin Kelp, and occasionally DE.
a. I need help figuring out if what I am giving/will give them is enough minerals.
b. I definitely need an additional organic source for copper.
c. I need information/opinions (research is always best!) on providing BlackStrap Molasses as an additional supplement to the kelp (I currently do not have sulfured, looking for some though).
2. How much grain (currently just barley) should I provide to each category of goats. (bucks, does in milk, kids...) keep in mind I'm a grain minimalist, but I also want decent milk production when they are in milk.
3. If my goats seem to be content with a small amount of hay (they definitely would eat more grain though) is it ok that they aren't getting the amount of roughage recommended?
4. How much alfalfa should I supplement (and do I need to?) and to whom?
5. I have been told that there was a study done finding that most probiotics given to goats are useless because goats have different species of friendly flora in their guts then what the probiotics provide. Thoughts?
Thanks!
Laura
http://rejoicingevermore.blogspot.com
I REALLY want to provide my goats with organic (as in utilized by a plant or animals before we eat it) vitamins and minerals as much as possible because of their better utilization by the body and lower risk of OD'ing or having too much stored in the body (organic minerals are not stored in the body when there is excess they are simply passed out. Inorganic minerals, like most standard mixes very little is properly used by the body and excesses can be stored in the body). I do it for myself so why not for my goats. My problem is, there isn't many of us out there. :/ So I'm going on what little information I have plus how my goats look and feel, which I've only had goats for 6 months..... So I'm looking for opinions/advice on if you think kelp (I use Thorvin), and maybe some nutritional yeast and others are enough minerals, or if not which minerals would I have to provide more of?
I live in the interior of Alaska, which is selenium deficient and I think copper deficient. Or it may not be copper deficient, it may be just because we have WAY too much iron in the land, which according to the reading I have done excessive iron restricts copper absorption.
I plan to use Diamond V selenium yeast (if I can manage to get some!) paired with wheat germ to replace Bo-Se, which I will only give if I ABSOLUTELY have to (the Bo-Se). I really don't want to give them that, and have found research saying that selenium yeast has been found to be just as effective as a nonorganic source of selenium (like Bo-Se) Oh, and interestingly once I started giving my goats kelp, the few signs of selenium deficiency they had for sure disappeared!
I have NO idea yet what to do about the copper, and I have signs of copper deficiency. I really don't want to do boluses, and if possible again... Something organic.
I have 6 Nigerian Dwarf's, 4 does, 1 buck and 1 buckling (soon to be whether), and absolutely adore them! I currently have no does in milk, 2 are due in early Feb, one early April and one will soon be bred because we had to put the bucks and does together because it reached -20 below last week and my doe house is large and not yet insulated. The buck house is small and insulated.
I need some help figuring out the correct protein/mineral/grain ratios they need, so here is what I am currently doing.
I wasn't giving them any grain until two days ago when I realized that one of my does due in Feb was beginning to show symptoms of ketosis/toxemia (?). So I gave her BS molasses water, kelp, and now I am giving all of them 1 qt yogurt container of barley for all 6. (started sprouting some today so soon it will be sprouted barley) I eventually want to get some oats to add to that, and as I garden more I want to grow my own BOSS, flax seeds and whatever else I want to add that I can grow here. (open to hear what ya'll feed and grow for them! But I like to keep grain to a minimum)
Alfalfa does not grow up here, and it cost over $15 for a 65lb bale just to get it within 400 miles of me, so I don't get any alfalfa for them I buy local EXCELLENT brome, I guess I'll have to up my protein and calcium in other areas. I can buy alfalfa pellets, and plan on giving them small amounts (at the very least the does in milk/pregnant) but I don't know how much, and I want to keep my costs down....
I was reading somewhere that a goat should be getting about 5lb of "food" a day (I'm assuming it meant large goats, so ND's I'm sure are about half that) so I'm kind of concerned that they all are content with 2 medium sized flakes of hay a day, so long as they are getting the kelp every day. If I don't give them the kelp (half a cup each) then they want/need more hay. I don't feed them all they want like most people, because I have found that they are content on about half the hay they would eat if I gave them all they want. And actually since I added in the barley the last 2 days they've even had hay leftover in the bin when I take more out. They aren't shivering, and seem to be doing well. I was having issues with them all being overweight a month ago, but now I think only one is still overweight.
I was reading on the Holistic Goat group on Yahoo about the health effects of sulfured BS molasses. The lady gave 3 C a day split between her 12 Oberhases. (SP) I've been reading really mixed opinions about this, some don't ever give their goats anything sweet, and some swear that goats must have molasses, and saw some research on how the sulfur is needed to help keep high levels of friendly flora in the goats stomach. So looking for ya'lls opinions and how much you give your goats.
Sorry this is long and mixed up so I'll summarize.
1. I need organic (as in herbs, yeasts, not salts, mined minerals etc) sources for all of my mineral needs. (I will use nonorganic if I have to, or it's just to costly) I am already providing Thorvin Kelp, and occasionally DE.
a. I need help figuring out if what I am giving/will give them is enough minerals.
b. I definitely need an additional organic source for copper.
c. I need information/opinions (research is always best!) on providing BlackStrap Molasses as an additional supplement to the kelp (I currently do not have sulfured, looking for some though).
2. How much grain (currently just barley) should I provide to each category of goats. (bucks, does in milk, kids...) keep in mind I'm a grain minimalist, but I also want decent milk production when they are in milk.
3. If my goats seem to be content with a small amount of hay (they definitely would eat more grain though) is it ok that they aren't getting the amount of roughage recommended?
4. How much alfalfa should I supplement (and do I need to?) and to whom?
5. I have been told that there was a study done finding that most probiotics given to goats are useless because goats have different species of friendly flora in their guts then what the probiotics provide. Thoughts?
Thanks!
Laura
http://rejoicingevermore.blogspot.com