Goat mineral needs: feeding does, kids and bucks
Goat mineral needs depend on the whole ration, including forage, concentrate and mineral supplements. Check calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iodine, selenium and zinc per kilogram of dry matter. Goats need 15 to 40 mg of copper on this basis, far more than sheep. HerdMobile helps you calculate rations using your own feeds.
Compiled from open-access scientific sources.
Reference values and basis
| Parameter and basis | Value |
|---|---|
| Calcium (% of dry matter), dry / milking | 0.18 / 0.65, maximum 2.0 |
| Phosphorus (% of dry matter), dry / milking | 0.14 / 0.35, maximum 1.0 |
| Magnesium (% of dry matter) | 0.12 minimum, maximum 0.60 |
| Potassium (% of dry matter) | 0.50 minimum, maximum 3.0 |
| Sodium / sulfur (% of dry matter) | 0.05 / 0.12 minimum; maximum 1.6 / 0.40 |
| Copper (mg per kg dry matter) | 15 minimum, maximum 40 |
| Iodine (mg per kg dry matter) | 0.50 minimum; maximum 10, or 2.5 while milking |
| Iron (mg per kg dry matter), adult / young | 35 / 95 minimum, maximum 500 |
| Zinc (mg per kg dry matter), dry / milking | 10 / 40 minimum, maximum 250 |
| Selenium (mg per kg dry matter) | 0.20 minimum, maximum 1 |
| Cobalt / manganese (mg per kg dry matter) | 0.10 / 20 minimum; maximum 5 / 300 |
| Calcium to phosphorus ratio | 1.5 to 1 up to 2 to 1 |
Why check minerals across the whole goat ration?
Goats get minerals from everything they eat: hay, concentrate, pasture, salt and mineral mix. A supplement label tells you only part of the story. Compare the mineral supply from the whole ration on a dry matter basis, meaning the feed with its water removed. HerdMobile helps you calculate a daily ration from your own feeds. Include everything your goats eat, including browse hay and salt blocks. You need mineral analyses for every feed to make a complete comparison; a missing result leaves a gap, so find that information before deciding whether the ration supplies enough.
Which minerals do goats need, and in what amounts?
Milking does need more calcium and phosphorus than dry goats, while their zinc requirement rises from 10 to 40 mg per kilogram of dry matter. Copper needs special care if you also keep sheep: goats need at least 15 mg and have an upper limit of 40 mg per kilogram of dry matter, compared with 15 mg for sheep. Kids and young goats need 95 mg of iron per kilogram of dry matter, against 35 mg for adults. During milking, iodine has a lower upper limit of 2.5 mg per kilogram of dry matter. Keep calcium to phosphorus between 1.5 to 1 and 2 to 1.
How do you correct a mineral shortfall?
First identify which mineral is short in the whole ration. For a milking doe short of calcium, limestone or calcium-rich legume hay can help close the gap. For copper, choose a goat mineral mix rather than a sheep mix: sheep rations need to stay below 15 mg per kilogram of dry matter. If a mineral exceeds its upper limit, remove the excess source before adding anything else. Change one feed at a time, recalculate the ration and note the date. Repeat the comparison whenever you change hay, pasture or concentrate, because a new batch can change the mineral supply.
Questions from the farm
How much copper do goats need?
Goat rations need 15 to 40 mg of copper per kilogram of dry matter. Sheep need 7 to 15 mg on the same basis, so use mineral mixes suited to each species.
Do milking does need more calcium than dry goats?
Milking does need 0.65% calcium and 0.35% phosphorus in the ration's dry matter. Dry goats need less: 0.18% calcium and 0.14% phosphorus on the same basis.
What calcium to phosphorus ratio do goats need?
A goat ration needs a calcium to phosphorus ratio between 1.5 to 1 and 2 to 1. Include both minerals from every feed before calculating the ratio.
Why does my kids' ration look short of iron?
Young goats need 95 mg of iron per kilogram of dry matter, compared with 35 mg for adults. Include iron analyses for milk replacer, starter feed and hay when checking their total supply.
How HerdMobile helps
Bring your animals, feed stocks and farm accounts together on your Android phone. HerdMobile keeps your daily work moving offline: record events, compare feed quantities and follow sales and payments in one place. Use your own feeds and herd information to prepare a ration, then keep a backup file under your control.
HerdMobile calculates daily goat rations using your own feeds. When checking minerals, compare the whole ration with the ranges for goats, keep sheep requirements separate, and note the date whenever you change the ration.
