Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
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Vitamin E:
VitaminEisparticularlyimportanttothequalityofmilk.VitaminEdeficiency
in a milk goat can cause her to produce milk that tends to spoil rapidly.
Mineral supplements
Novice livestock owners often are confused about whether and how to supplement minerals.
Oversupplying some minerals can cause severe health issues that are just as dangerous as
mineral deficiencies. Most goat owners provide supplemental minerals in loose form (avail-
able at a feed store), and make them available to the goats at all times. You will find that indi-
viduals who need supplementation to their diets tend to take just what they need.
Mineral deficiencies are often due to the composition of the soil in the region. If soil does not
contain enough phosphorus, for example, there will not be phosphorus in the plant life. Or
there might not be enough iron in the water. It helps to be aware of any major mineral defi-
ciency in your area, so you can troubleshoot possible health problems when they begin to ap-
pear.
Salt blocks with added minerals are generally not favored for goat owners for several reasons.
Chief among these is the tendency for the goats to overdose on salt (salty milk taste) and the
tendency of goats to climb all over the blocks and contaminate them. It is better to provide
loose minerals in an indoor feeder. Goats need relatively large quantities of calcium, phos-
phorous, magnesium, sodium, chlorine, potassium, and sulfur and small amounts of many
trace minerals, most of which occur naturally in their feed.
You might want to consider providing a few minerals individually. Many goat owners claim
that baking soda keeps the rumen functioning well and prevents indigestion. This can be ad-
ded into the loose minerals you provide or offered separately to the goats, which will take it
when they need it. Probiotics made of yeast or yeast mixtures are believed to aid digestion
and improve rumen function. They can be purchased in dry or wet form. Some goat owners
add them routinely to the grain ration, while others only provide it to goats suffering from di-
gestive problems or under stress.
Some supplements can be given as a bolus (a large round mass fed orally all at once) or by in-
jection. These are given when there is a known deficiency of a given mineral in your region of
the country. Your veterinarian or agricultural extension officer can advise you if you should be
giving any supplement routinely in this manner.
