Anyone feed individual minerals - Our journey

I want to do this so badly but as you mentioned the cost!!!! I’m going to have to look at this site and see if it’s cheaper then the one I keep debating about paying the $2 a pound to get anything out to me.
But I think if one can afford it it’s worth a shot. I always wonder with the mineral mix how often a goat, say really needs copper but because she is fine on all the other minerals just will not consume them like she should? I watch my goats and what they forage on different times of the year, or when they like one hay over the other and I think they are pretty smart on consuming what the body needs. When they need minerals they eat it, when they don’t they don’t. I have loose selenium salt out for them and it’s the same thing. Sometimes I can keep ahead of it and other times they don’t touch it. So I’m assuming they know best.
So with that mini book there with my thoughts I vote if you can do it try it! You never know until you try! The only thing is I’m sure it’s not overly cheap and if they are big bags find a way to keep what you are not using fresh. Or see if someone will split it with you.

Jessica84 said:

I want to do this so badly but as you mentioned the cost!!!! I'm going to have to look at this site and see if it's cheaper then the one I keep debating about paying the $2 a pound to get anything out to me.
But I think if one can afford it it's worth a shot. I always wonder with the mineral mix how often a goat, say really needs copper but because she is fine on all the other minerals just will not consume them like she should? I watch my goats and what they forage on different times of the year, or when they like one hay over the other and I think they are pretty smart on consuming what the body needs. When they need minerals they eat it, when they don't they don't. I have loose selenium salt out for them and it's the same thing. Sometimes I can keep ahead of it and other times they don't touch it. So I'm assuming they know best.
So with that mini book there with my thoughts I vote if you can do it try it! You never know until you try! The only thing is I'm sure it's not overly cheap and if they are big bags find a way to keep what you are not using fresh. Or see if someone will split it with you.

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My same thoughts. If they aren't getting enough of one because they get too much of another...with premixed minerals. And sometimes I can stay ahead, and other make me pull my hair out. The cost is def more upfront, but my friend says after they got balanced, it was much cheaper than buying sacked mineral mixes. They go through more of one mineral than others at different times of the year as well as with different hays being brought in. She did say the one they consistently hit is Selenium.

I did ask them about how long they take to go through them. He said it some of them should last us a good few months, others we'll be ordering more of. But that not to worry about them going bad, they'll stay just fine.

I'm either going to build the boxed feeder with 20 slots that has a rubber cover they lift...OR I'm debating making a feeder with the PVC that I can attach to the back of their shelter. That might be a better option....takes up less space as the wooden feeder would sit outside in the pen and they would possibly jump on it. But the pvc pipes, I could just make and attach to their house. I'm going to have to look at that.

Yes every feed has a degree of some minerals in it, but I wouldn’t rely on feed to meet any mineral demand. I am FAR from a expert on minerals so keep that in mind here but you would have to test everything they consume. Even then what is the right amount for them? Also some minerals block other minerals. So what would too much, say iron be for the copper amount they are getting?
Kinda a little fun fact story real fast that I kinda thought was interesting. My parents decided to be farmers and grow hay. They had someone come in and test the soil. I think they have close to 300 acres up there. Anyways it’s all sectioned off into different fields, but all relatively close together. So anyways they took samples out of each of the fields and there was such a difference in different minerals. They also test their hay because they have a dairy that wants hay. Every field tested different as well on protein and other minerals that was in the hay. Now granted they are new to this but how much does one stack of hay that one buys differers from the next?
Ok but back to your question lol technically you can do what you want! If you want to get just a few you can. I would say keep the mixed mineral out though. What jubilee and I were saying though was let’s say you get just copper. That mixed mineral has copper in it. But they also need the 10-20 other minerals in them. If they are good on copper is that going to stop them from consuming the mixed minerals as much as they should because it has copper in it? In the end would you solve one issue just to have another one. Now personally I think I’m going to eventually go for this (I’ve been saying this for years though lol) but there is no way I can buy them all unless this place is very affordable. So I’m going to start with copper and selenium and slowly add to it. Those are the two that I am battling the most. So if in the end if it saves me from Having to buy blouses and selenium salt it’s a win. But it also might end badly and I have other minerals I’m battling. Kinda get what I’m saying? I don’t know for sure what the answer is here though, just thinking

Jessica84 said:

Well I know with mine copper and selenium are the two things I battle the most, that's why I wanted to start there. But you are right I think getting the whole buffet is definitely the better choice. I'm not sure what this place charges but the other it's $50 for 25# there's what 10-15 different minerals, that's $500 right off the bat. And yes it is more money then mixed minerals but it's not that much, it's just coming up with that $500 that is killing me lol but it's not like they will suck down every single mineral at the rate they do the mixed. Ideally it should be the same or a little more but if it keeps them healthy.....

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Right. They'll probably go through certain ones at first, those will tell you their deficiencies at that time. Other times int he year they'll go through others faster or depending on hay and feed levels. So for my 10 goats, they quoted $441 and that was a bag of each and 2 of phosphorous. I figured I'd add another of copper and selenium. Just because I KNOW those are ones I battle.

That said, that's a kid or two (depending) so I figured I'd try to work it in with kid sales to get started. I really feel like it will improve my herd and hopefully keep the battle with balancing down. I have considered just getting selenium and copper and zinc (because we feed high alfalfa) at first and having it on the side. Currently, we're battling some clicking knees and I was rationing out a pinch of boron on each of their feed....then I thought...just put it out free choice, let them top up what they need, that's what they are doing. Some turned their noses up (those don't have clicking knees) while others took a couple of licks and others a few more. So I can already see this system will be beneficial.

As far as reducing feed, the minerals in the feed really aren't THAT much. Not anywhere what they need. In theory, they will eat in addition to what they're missing from the feed. If you left out just copper, or copper and selenium, I'd still leave the main pre-mix out. Possibly they'd eat that, then additional of the copper if they needed it. It may work well. I just really like them being able to REALLY top up on what they need. I mean what if they need more magnesium for some reason and they aren't getting enough from the pre-mix at that time....so that's where I'm headed with that. I won't change my feed based on it, but whatever the feed or hay is lacking, they will have available to them right there and can make up the difference.

I was also told there is more resistance to parasites. Since they are stocked up on the proper balances of minerals and if they are being fed right, their body can resist better.