The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Rhiannon on June 18, 2013, 09:48:27 pm

Title: Mineral block
Post by: Rhiannon on June 18, 2013, 09:48:27 pm

Hi all!
What mineral block do you recommend?
Many thanks
Rhiannon

Title: Re: Mineral block
Post by: mojocafa on June 18, 2013, 09:57:09 pm

Yellow rockie

Title: Re: Mineral block
Post by: devonlad on June 18, 2013, 11:26:24 pm

eurobloc calsea zinc etc

Title: Re: Mineral block
Post by: Rhiannon on June 19, 2013, 12:35:09 am

Many thanks

Title: Re: Mineral block
Post by: plumseverywhere on June 19, 2013, 07:33:02 am

We use red rockie as it has the copper goats need. Our sheep cannot gain access to it an they have the yellow version  :)

Title: Re: Mineral block
Post by: sokel on June 19, 2013, 08:17:53 pm

Red Rockies here aswell  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Mineral block
Post by: jinglejoys on June 19, 2013, 08:45:14 pm

Both

Title: Re: Mineral block
Post by: Anke on June 19, 2013, 09:48:42 pm

Yellow Rockie for GG's and red ones for BT's. Just changing over for the BT's.

Title: Re: Mineral block
Post by: Lesley Silvester on June 19, 2013, 10:25:25 pm

I'm using yellow because I didn't know which was best but I also give Caprivite, garlic and seaweed.

Title: Re: Mineral block
Post by: Carl f k on June 19, 2013, 11:46:59 pm

Red rocky but both goats have never touched it

Title: Re: Mineral block
Post by: Dogwalker on June 20, 2013, 10:13:28 am

Quote from: Anke on June 19, 2013, 09:48:42 pm

Yellow Rockie for GG's and red ones for BT's. Just changing over for the BT's.

Why yellow for the GG's?

Title: Re: Mineral block
Post by: Anke on June 20, 2013, 11:17:21 am

Because they never touch theirs really (theirs have been in the shed for the last 4 years and only have rounded edges), and as they are milking fine I felt that I do not want to overdose on Copper for them. The BT's go through at least a lick per year roughly, and as they are milking twice the amount of the GG's I felt that more Copper wouldn't be amiss....
 
All of my adults (milkers and goatlings) also get a 6-weekly mineral/multi-vit drench with added Copper, GG's and goatlings get half the dose of the large BT's. I have some really fussy eaters this year (same goats as last year, just getting fussy), so have stopped givin Caprivite, as they were refusing to eat their food once Caprivite was in it... (same bucket as before kidding, so no idea what's going on).

Title: Re: Mineral block
Post by: Dogwalker on June 20, 2013, 01:29:30 pm

My GG haven't used their blocks as much this year as last but the angoras go through them really quickly. 
Are there big differences between breeds of sheep or other animals or is it just goats. 

Title: Re: Mineral block
Post by: sokel on June 20, 2013, 03:01:15 pm

None of our 100% Boers touch the licks where as the dairy and the 75% Boer all go through them fast

Title: Re: Mineral block
Post by: Anke on June 20, 2013, 03:07:37 pm

Quote from: Dogwalker on June 20, 2013, 01:29:30 pm

My GG haven't used their blocks as much this year as last but the angoras go through them really quickly. 
Are there big differences between breeds of sheep or other animals or is it just goats.

I don't think anyone has been able to do some analysis on this one, not economically important I guess. But it is probably that due to different local circumstances (mineral contents of grass/hay/feed etc etc) it is individuals that need different amounts, probably within a breed and also between different breeds...
 
The GG's not using them is just my personal observations on my holding, I have heard from others that their girls are using them more...