# Minerals



## informative (Aug 24, 2012)

Was reading the goatkeeping 101 forum on vitamins and minerals and I noted the link to http://www.triquestboergoats.com/minerals.htm was a dead link.

So where is the best place in your opinion to order minerals from?


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

I use Right Now brand Onyx minerals, and many here do, too. They can either be bought or ordered anywhere that Cargill products are sold.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

How many goats do you have, Ray? If only a few, I really liked the Manna Pro Goat Minerals that I can get at TSC. But having a large herd makes them cost prohibitive.


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## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

I use Right Now Onyx and to be honest, every mineral I have tried has never worked very well for my herd until I switched to the Right Now Onyx.


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

I used Cargill Right Now Onyx for years with great success.... 

Now I use Techmaster by Bluebonnet and I love it. My girls eat it much better than they did the Onyx and since I moved I can find the Techmaster much easier than I can the Onyx...


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Hey Crystal, I thought you use Replamin Plus? Or do you also give loose minerals along with the gel?
Doesn't Replamin Plus work well on its own?


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

I wish Cargill's website would provide a list of ingredients, ppm's and/or percents.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

Right Now Onyx is carried by my local TSC but I prefer Techmaster which I can no longer get so I am using minerals from Producers Coop in Bryan and my goats like it as well as Techmaster. They DO NOT like Onyx.


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## Whirlwind Ranch (Aug 7, 2012)

I also use the Right Now Onyx by Cargill. My local TSC carries it. My girls eat it ok. My boys fight over it and it seems like I can never keep enough out for them. I would like to try the Bluebonnet Techmaster, but can't seem to find anyone locally that carries it. I have to special order it and when I called last, they said they weren't placing an order for another month or so and I needed minerals in a couple of weeks. Bad timing on my part.


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## Whirlwind Ranch (Aug 7, 2012)

Cindy...if I remember, I can pull the tag off my bag of Onyx and scan and upload it here...
LaNell...what mineral are you buying at Producer's Co-Op? They are really close to me...


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

I forgot to mention that I also mix in kelp and yeast (or just kelp if I don't have the yeast) with the minerals, which probably encourages intake. They eat a lot more in the winter than summer.


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## skeeter (Aug 11, 2010)

The tag from one area won't matter in another. Right now Onyx is region specific.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

skeeter said:


> The tag from one area won't matter in another. Right now Onyx is region specific.


I didn't know that. Thanks.


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## Whirlwind Ranch (Aug 7, 2012)

Here is the tag for Cargill Right Now Onyx from my area(Central Texas)


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

skeeter said:


> The tag from one area won't matter in another. Right now Onyx is region specific.


Oh, that is good to know, and really neat!


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## FaithNJoyOberhasli (Apr 24, 2012)

Actually, you might want to check with Cargill as to whether Onyx itself is region specific. I'm pretty sure Onyx is Onyx. The part that is region specific, if I understand correctly, is which of their Right Now minerals is recommended at different times for different regions based on what types of forage are likely to be available. Then they have you build the mineral program around it. There's Onyx, Emerald, and one or two others (I forget), which they suggest rotating--the info about this is on the back of the bag, I think. But, that's primarily for beef cattle. Goat people using Onyx seem to just use Onyx all the time, the best I can tell.

Those of you mixing yeast and kelp in your Onyx--how much of each do you add?

Thanks!


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Are y'all not concerned about all the iron that is in this product? Iron oxide, ferrous sulfate, ferrous carbonate.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

4 parts mineral: 1 part kelp: 1 part yeast


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## informative (Aug 24, 2012)

MF-Alpines said:


> Are y'all not concerned about all the iron that is in this product? Iron oxide, ferrous sulfate, ferrous carbonate.


Yes. It's called Hemochromatosis (Too Much Iron In The Blood) humans get it for sure especially men and is why I try to give blood regularly because I take supplements with iron and it can build up to toxic levels.

Not sure if goats are also affected - would make sense that they might be.

"If left untreated, iron overload can impact almost every organ in your body. You can develop a wide array of conditions such as cirrhosis of the liver, arthritis, impotence, loss of fertility, heart disease, liver cancer, bronze skin and loss of periods for women."


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Ray, I was thinking more along the lines of iron inhibiting the uptake of copper.


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## informative (Aug 24, 2012)

I'm still learning about goats. My most active project at this time is the expanding of our chickens.. So goats need lots of copper? Sheep were the ones that are harmed by copper correct?


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Yes, goats need a lot of most every mineral, but copper deficiency is common. All animals, including sheep, need some amount of copper, but sheep are sensitive to copper toxicity.


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

Emily - Producer's makes a special goat mineral for us based on a recipe put together by Langston University in Oklahoma. You have to ask for it, and the code number is 2040. You won't find it listed up on the board behind the order desk like the rest of the feeds and supplements they carry.


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## Whirlwind Ranch (Aug 7, 2012)

Thank you Caroline , I'll check that out next time I'm picking up feed.
Emily


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## informative (Aug 24, 2012)

So perhaps a silly notion but is there any major reason humans could not use goat minerals to supplement their mineral needs? Do you suppose goat minerals have significantly more of a particular mineral that would make this a bad idea? Seems like human vitamins are pretty pricey and this might not be the worst way to source some vitamins for people on a tight budget. I said it was perhaps silly.


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

It would be alot of salt. They add salt to make the animals eat it. Taste it - it's like salty dirt


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## informative (Aug 24, 2012)

ah yeah - many humans actually get less salt than they need to build proper amounts of stomach acid - but some people who suffer high blood pressure (I don't) might be OK with very small infrequent amounts then maybe.


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