| Author | Message | ||
     Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 1689 Registered: 07-2005 Posted From: 72.185.188.253  Rating: N/A |
Looks like a great feed blend to me and it has probiotics (that's the yeast) added and vitamins A,D and E. Find a beef cattle loose mineral with 1000 to 1800 ppm copper and a 2:1 calcium to phosphorus ratio and you're in business. I bet the feed store has just such a mineral, look through that notebook. Often a higher magnesium cattle mineral will also have the higher copper. I'll watch for your milker order... Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Janette Cross New member Username: janettecross Post Number: 48 Registered: 08-2005 Posted From: 216.61.238.129 Rating: N/A |
I do feed prairie hay and feed alfalfa about 3 times a week. They get grain once a day. I hope you don't mind looking at one more list. This is the feed mill list of what is in the goat feed. They don't have it tagged, it is in a notebook behind the counter so I just wrote down what was there. Alot of the people around here use it, but I've wondered if it should have anything else in it. 300 Cr. Corn 550 W Oats 550 W Barley 100 Bran 100 Sunflower 400 Soybean Meal 10 Calcium 10 Di-Cal 10 Salt 5 Yeast 3 A D E Vitamins Molasses I am assuming that it is pounds per batch mix. Also, I have fed Golden Blend before but I quit because of the expense. things are a bit better now so I will probably order some from Hoegger. Thanks for taking the time to look over my "lists". I also wanted to say that I saw the video of your hand milker and I love it! My sister wants to get Pygmies this Spring and I want to get one for her when she does. Actually, my husband wants me to get a Milking machine because he doesn't like it when he has to do the milking. It just occured to me that yours would be perfect for him. So I will get on your site to order. It is a brilliant idea. Thanks again - JC | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 1686 Registered: 07-2005 Posted From: 72.185.188.253 Rating: N/A |
If you are feeding grain too then the calcium to phosphorus ratio will be off unless you are feeding really good alfalfa hay this has lots more calcium than grass hay and would once again bring the ratio back into balance). The goat mineral has the right ratio, the cattle mineral does not. Grain is naturally higher in phosphorus. So she may be getting too much phosphorus to allow for good calcium absorption. You are not giving enough of the vitamin/probiotic supplement to do much either. Pretty much one can assume that a calf is the same to just about 50% more in size than the average goat. So the goats should be getting what a calf would be getting.... But it is possible to overdose on vitamin A and E and maybe some of the others... B vitamins are naturally formed by the rumen and intestinal microbes in a goats gut, they don't really need more most of the time, but excess B vitamins are just peed out and don't pose a toxicity threat. With mixing the minerals together you do get just about the right copper, but it is a bit high in zinc then and zinc blocks copper.... Have you tried Golden Blend Goat minerals (available from Hoegger or Custom Milling)? Pretty much it would be one stop shopping for you, you could replace all of these including the kelp with the one product. I am a strong believer in the KISS principle, Keep It Simple, Silly.... I feed a good quality pelleted feed so my girls can't pick out the good stuff, a mineral that meets their needs and hay and browse. No top dressing, no mixing, no once a week this and twice a week that. I adjust the grain according to the body condition and stage of lactation, that's the only thing that might change.... Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Janette Cross New member Username: janettecross Post Number: 47 Registered: 08-2005 Posted From: 216.61.238.129 Rating: N/A |
Hi Maggie - Clover seems to be feeling better but is still jittery in the back legs. Here is a list of the two minerals that I've been mixing about 50/50 Vita Ferm Custom Goat Mineral Calcium 12%min 14%max Phosphorus 7%min Salt 9.5%min 11% max Magnesium 2% min Potassium 2% min Copper 845ppm min Iodine 50ppm min Manganese 190ppm min Selenium 13% min Zinc 1,650ppm min Vitamin A 300,000 IU/lb Vitamin D-3 35,000 IU/lb Vitamin E 500 IU/lb Purina Wind and Rain All Season 12 Calcium 12% min 14% max Phosphorus 12% min Salt 2.5% min 3.5% max Magnesium 1% min Potassium 1% min Manganese 4230 ppm Copper 220 ppm min Cobalt 10ppm min Iodine 230ppm min Selenium 54ppm Zinc 7400 ppm Vitamin A 150,000 IU/lb Vitamin D 15,000 IU/lb Vitamin E 150 IU/lb Vita-Lac Vitamin A 3,000,000 IU Vitamin D3 1,500,000 IU Vitamin E 2,000 IU Vitamin B12 8000 mcg Riboflavin 1600 mg D-Pantothenin Acid 2,000 mg Niacin 8,000 mg Vitamin K 1,600 mg Folic Acid 200 mg Pyridoxine 400 mg Choline 10,400 mg di-Methionine 2,000 mg plus a Lactobacilus Acidophilus 50 mil Colony Forming Units per pound. This has feeding directions for calves of 1/8 to 1/4 ounce per head in feed or water. I top dress with a 1/4 tsp per goat once a week. So, maybe I'm killing them with kindness. All of the minerals are free choice. The Kelp is once a week free choice. The reason for the cattle mineral was to get the copper up. I have read that 1800ppm was the right amount. Anyway, let me know what your thoughts on this are if you don't mind. I really appreciate all the help. Thanks - JC |