This page will track consumption each month and total it in pounds so we can get an idea of our herd’s consumption on a longer term basis. Unlike the monthly totals that display in ounces, this one shows totals in pounds.
I have Nigerian Dwarf goats and standard sized sheep so to keep this consistent and easy to read, the total number of animals will count each sheep as 2 Nigerian Dwarf goats. For example, as I write this in July 2022, we have 11 adult ND does, 6 ND kids, 4 adult ND bucks, 6 adult sheep and 3 lambs. For simplicity, I will count this as 39 animals.
The Process
It is not possible to measure how much the herd consumes out of the feeders, but I can measure how much I put into the feeders and this is the method I use. I keep a sheet in the barn next to the minerals and fill containers to whole ounce numbers for ease of tracking. Whenever I fill a container, I write down the total ounces filled on my sheet, which I bring in at the end of the month to tally and put on the website. What you see here, then, is the total amount I have put into the feeders and/or the small holding containers out at the farthest feeders. Over time, this gives us a picture of consumption even if the amounts entered for a particular month are not totally consumed in that month.
June: We put animals out on pasture at the first of this month. Note the significant increase in Si and CB. I haven’t isolated the issue, but I am grateful that this system allows me to see things I wouldn’t otherwise. Will update when I have info back from the nutritionist.
September: I discovered cats were littering in the feeder kept at the barn, so I cleaned out all the holes and replaced them with one pound each. Notice the much lower consumption overall.
November: 3 rams were removed from the herd, which counted as 6 ND because they’re 2x the size.
December: The buck feeder was refreshed with .5# of many minerals so the total is higher to reflect that.
| Mineral | April 2022 | May 2022 | June 2022 | July 2022 | Aug 2022 | Sep 2022 | Nov 2022 | Dec 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boron | .56 | 2.88 | .63 | 1.31 | 1 | .5 | ||
| Calcium | 3 | 1 | ||||||
| Vits. C&B | 4.4 | 5.88 | 12.31 | 7.06 | 5.5 | 2.68 | 1.81 | 3 |
| CL | 1.63 | 1 | ||||||
| Cobalt | 3.53 | .88 | .81 | 1 | .5 | |||
| Copper | 4.75 | 6.75 | 9.06 | 3.25 | 2.56 | 1.5 | 3.13 | |
| Iodine | .88 | 3.38 | 1 | 2.75 | ||||
| Magnesium | 1.06 | 1 | ||||||
| Manganese | .56 | 1.44 | .88 | 1 | .5 | |||
| Molybdenum | 2.06 | 4.13 | 2.63 | 1.69 | 1 | .5 | ||
| Sodium NA | 1 | |||||||
| OH | 1 | .5 | ||||||
| Phosphorus | 1.5 | 3.88 | 1 | 2.69 | ||||
| Potassium | 2.38 | 1 | ||||||
| Selenium | .81 | 3.5 | 4.13 | 3.25 | 1 | 1.5 | .5 | |
| Silicon | 4.63 | 3.44 | 25.13 | 35.06 | 8.38 | 3.62 | 1.81 | 6.5 |
| Sulfur | 1.41 | 1 | .5 | |||||
| V4 | 3.88 | 1.06 | 3.06 | 1 | 1 | 1.44 | ||
| Zinc | 1.19 | .56 | 2.56 | 1.75 | 1 | 2.13 | ||
| Total Pounds | 19.77 | 41.44 | 59.46 | 64.62 | 19.82 | 24.86 | 6.62 | 25.13 |
| Total ND | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 32 | 32 |
