The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: ambriel on August 03, 2011, 11:18:49 pm
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Is ordinary sheep lick OK for goats?
Just wondering whether our girls are getting all they should be and our local shop keeps this in stock.
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Don't know but Crystalyx does a Smallholder one that does sheep and goats (and cattle).
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probably not enough copper in a sheep lick for a goat.
does your store have horse licks? the one I buy says on the front what its suitable for.
If not, ask them to get it for you - ours has to order in my pig feed, they dont stock it but always get it when I ask (on a Tuesday!)
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The only problem with licks of any kind is that you cannot know how much it is used by any 1 goat.
Most licks slowly disappear with damp weather !!
Goats require the same amount of copper as a cow on a pro rata basis... sheep licks would not be any good in this situation.
If you feed cattle food, there is sufficient copper in there and then there is no guess work about intake. Any basic 16 - 18% dairy nut/cake is sufficient, much cheaper than any goat feed so a saving all round. Even beef store nuts are better than nothing.
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Useful info, as always, people. Thanks!
I've been feeding a sheep crunch/mix but will take a look at cattle feed as an alternative when I go over this weekend.
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Ambriel
Have you come across a company called Goat Nutrition? They have a website http://home.btconnect.com/gnltd/shop/products.htm (http://home.btconnect.com/gnltd/shop/products.htm) which includes a powdered product called Caprivite. It provides a balance of minerals for goats and you just add a little to their food (slightly sticky foods Best).
We've used it for years and I know that they deliver stuff to us here (Outer Hebrides) very quickly.
We've used the red (copper) horse licks but, as Wytsend says, they disintegrate in damp weather even indoors.
Good luck
Dave
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We always use the red rockies and drill a hole in the centre so we can hang u'm up, then you can see who's using them and how much.
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I prefer to make sure the mineral intake is in the feed... otherwise you cannot be certain they have used the block. At least my way, they can use the block as a top up.
Not all goats will accept Caprivite... realise this is odd when it is formulated for goats... but they are individuals same as us !!!!
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It took me ages to get my goats to accept caprivite, sprinkled onto their soaked sugarbeet, but now they are ok with it. Same with the garlic.
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Thanks Dave, I'll take a look at the website.
Cheers
Gary
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Caprivite is excellent but why pay out for something that is already included in dairy nuts ? When times are hard as now, common sense to me, says all money goes into feed and the best available.... dairy nuts. They are cheaper than goat feed in the first place.
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Wytsend,
Is it just the bog standard dairy nuts you use, like can be bought at the agri centers, or something different?
Sounds to good to be true! If its the bog standard then I'm going to be saving a fortune when I switch!
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As long as its Not sheep or Allstock nuts but Dairy Nuts
Just tried to get a leaflet From Countrywide for a breakdown of their Dairy Nuts contects and they don't have one...you'd've thought with BSE and F&M it would be a requirement by law?
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I just use the 'bog standard' dairy nut, 16% or 18%.... prefer the 18% for milkers.
I pay £6.90 per 25kg bag. This is exactly the same nut that is used by the majority of dairy farms all over the UK... just branded differently. The only difference is the farms have it delivered in bulk !!!!!!!
Some goats may resent a change from a coarse mix so all I do is mix half & half ratio with Coarse calf mix & hey presto they have their coarse mix with extra 'lumps' ! Gradually leave out the mix until the goats are on nuts alone.
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thankies ;D
my goats wont care if it's course mix or not, though i will change it slowly any how. they are the least fussy goats i have ever known as long as i dont expect them to eat grass ::)
they ignore the grass and wait at the gate for me to turf them out onto the nettles and thistles!
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I'm not a goat person but I know a little about sheep & cattle feeds in my own area which may be useful.
Depending on your local supplier you may be able to get a dairy mix if you prefer a mix to nuts. I feed Hillie, my Jersey, a mixture of the local supplier's 'Parlour Mix' (18% or 20%, can't remember) and their normal store beef mix (16%.) Another local supplier also does a dairy mix, and one for store beef (16%.)
Around here, beef mixes will include copper, which is not present in sheep mixes as Texels can have a reaction to added copper.
The second supplier told me the only difference between their sheep mix and their beef store mix is the copper - which, if sheep mix is not safe for goats, may suggest that not all cattle feeds are okay for goats?
Feed suppliers must be able to supply a breakdown of their feeds as it is a requirement of Farm Assured and other certifications that the farmer can provide this. If the supplier suppliers Farm Assured farms, they must be assured themselves and be able to provide this info to their farmer customers. Normally the info is on the label on the bag or on the invoice, or both.
Hope that's of some help.
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I picked up a Baby Red Rockies 'brick' from the farm supplies last week that says it's safe for cattle, horses, deer and goats. It also says that it shouldn't be given to sheep because of the higher copper content. The goats seem to like it. I've fixed it higher up than the Kunes are likely to get at.
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thats what we use. :)
Keep a close eye on it as it gets near the end, we find that they shift it out of its holder and onto the floor ... I suspect that our KK boar had a good old munch and it made him really poorly, when he was "maturing" in with the goats.
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Useful tip. I'll keep an eye on it and will probably make something more suitable for holding it.
Cheers
Gary