Nutrition is a big part of raising goats. Make sure you have all of the proper nutritional supplements for goats on hand to keep your goats happy and healthy.

The last thing any goat owner wants is a sick goat. And one of the best ways to keep your goats healthy is to always be prepared.

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A fully stocked supply and medical cabinet is a must for all goat owners.

In addition to the 10 Must Have Goat Medications, there are also a few supplements and nutritional support items you should always keep on hand in your goat barn and supply cabinet.

These are vitamins and other nutritional supplements for goats that either need to be made available at all times or used when you see signs of deficiency in your animals.

 

8 must have supplements for goats with minerals, copper, and selenium pictures

 

8 Nutritional Supplements for Goats to Keep Them In Top Shape

 

Loose minerals

Just like humans, your goats need to take their vitamins, and loose minerals are the best way to get those vitamins into their bodies.

These loose minerals should be offered free choice and available to your goats at all times. Goats are notorious for stepping in or otherwise soiling their food or hay, so be sure to offer the minerals in a way that prevents soiling from happening.

You can make your own feeder out of PVC or buy small mineral feeders. Be sure to look for a complete formula that contains all the essential nutrients- and also make sure your minerals are labeled for use in goats and not sheep. Copper is essential in goats and sheep cannot have copper.

Read a more thorough look at what and how to feed minerals to your goats here: Everything You Need to Know About Goat Minerals

 

mineral and baking soda for goats

 

Sodium Bicarbonate

Baking Soda, or Sodium Bicarbonate, is another nutritional supplement that should be available to your goats free choice at all times.

We buy a big bag at our local feed store to keep on hand in a large can in the barn. It can be used for all sorts of things- on the farm and in the house- and we keep it next to the loose minerals in our double compartment mineral feeders.

Baking Soda aids in your goats digestion and helps to prevent bloat. They will only take as much as they need, when they need it. If it starts to look old, just sprinkle the old stuff on the barn floor and replace it with new.

You can read more indepth on how and why to feed goats baking soda here: Why Goats Need Baking Soda

 

Related Reading: Diagnosing and Treating Scours in Goats

 

Probios

Probios is a probiotic  supplement for goats that is good to use to keep your goat’s rumen running smoothly.

It is full of beneficial bacteria to help start or recover good rumen function. We give every kid born on our farm Probios at about 3 days of age to jump start their rumen.

We also dose our adult goats when they are sick, after antibiotic use, or when they are transported for any reason.

 

Diagnosing and Treating Anemia in Goats: Anemia can be a silent killer in goats. Learn the signs and symptoms of anemia and how to treat it

 

Selenium/Vitamin E

Selenium is a trace mineral that is present in the soil. If you live in an area that is deficient, chances are your goats will not get a sufficient amount of this mineral and become deficient. Soil is considered deficient when there is less than 0.5mg of selenium per kg of soil. (If you would like to know about your area, here is a map of the selenium levels in the US).

Selenium is an important mineral for reproductive health and proper muscle function. Read more about Selenium Deficiency.

One year we had one of our new does give birth to triplets, one of which couldn’t stand due his ankles bending backwards. This white muscle disease is the most common signs of selenium deficiency in kids.

Adults can show signs of deficiency by abortions, stillbirth, or inability to conceive. We give our adult does an injection BoSe, which is available by prescription only, about a month before kidding. We also give BoSe to any kids presenting with White Muscle Disease.

We also keep a Selenium/Vitamin E gel on hand which we give everyone at the beginning of breeding season. The margin for toxicity is small, so make sure you dose correctly for your goat and check that you are in a deficient area first.

You can also try the new Bite Me! Goat Treats. The Mineral Mojo Bites are specifically for mineral deficiencies like these- an the goats LOVE them.

 

bose dosage for goats

 

If you are new to goats, I recommend reading up as much as you can before you purchase. You can find a lot of articles here on The Free Range Life that will teach you about goat care and be sure to check out The Busy Homesteader’s Goat Management Binder– it’s full of to-do lists, checklists, record keeping sheets, and resource pages that will get your new goat herd off to a great start!

 

Nutri-Drench

I’ve spoken about Nutri-Drench before and it is probably one of my most used goat supplements. It is simply concentrated vitamins and minerals that are readily absorbed for quick energy.

I give it to any goat that just seems off, recovering from sickness, and young kids and newborns (like my little one with white muscle disease) to help them have the energy to eat and grow like they are supposed to.

Sometimes it can be the very thing to help a sick goat make it through the night and get on the way to recovery.

 

container of ultra cruz copper bolus supplement for goats

 

Copper

Copper is another mineral that is essential for your goats. Copper is usually added to their feed as well as in their loose minerals but even with this fortification most goats will need supplementation in the form of a copper bolus.

Copper deficiency can cause poor growth in kids, poor coat quality and less resistance to parasites.

One of the telltale signs of copper deficiency is the “fish tail”- when the hair at the end of the goat’s tail has split into what looks like a fish tail.

To prevent this deficiency you need to give a copper supplement for goats 1-3 times a year. We’ve used a product called Copasure. It is for cows, so split open the capsules and dose the goats for their weight- putting the copper rods in their herbal worming balls.

Another good product is UltraCruz Copper Bolus for goats. It is measured for adult goats so be sure to make changes if you are dosing younger or miniature goats.

Related Reading: How to Copper Bolus Your Goat

 

bottle of fortified vitamin b complex supplement for livestock

 

Vitamin B Complex/Thiamine

The B Vitamins are made inside a healthy goat’s rumen everyday. When they are sick or rumen function is compromised because they are off feed you will need to supplement their vitamins with an injection of the B Vitamins.

Vitamin B12 is very helpful in goats suffering from anemia or recovering from other illnesses.

Vitamin B1, or Thiamine, is necessary for metabolism and neurological activity. And is one of the only things that will save your goat if they come down with Goat Polio.

Thiamine deficiency can cause many life threatening conditions, so it’s good to keep a Fortified Vitamin B Complex on hand at all times. We use an injectable formula from Southern States but there is also a paste that can be used for less severe conditions.

You can read more about B Vitamins, and why you need this goat supplement here: B Vitamins and Your Goat’s Health

 

Red Cell/Iron Supplement

An iron supplement is a must have when you own goats. Whenever you are dealing with a goat with anemia you will want to help keep them going by giving them an iron supplement as they build up their red blood cell count.

We keep Red Cell on hand and our goats take it pretty easily. You can also purchase iron pellets or injectable iron supplement. Again, please make sure you use the correct dose for your goat’s weight.

 

Add these things, along with all the necessary medications and supplies to your livestock medical cabinet and you will be ready for anything that comes your way!