Tag: mineralconsumption

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.

This table tracks the amount of each mineral, in ounces, that I have either put into the mineral buffet feeders or into the small jars I keep at the farthest feeder from the barn.  Over time, this will indicate overall consumption levels but does not itself indicate how much was consumed in a given time because they still have to consume the ounces I’ve indicated here.

These are the numbers for May.  The total will not be updated until the end of the month but I will input the data at the end of each week where I have anything to track.

In May, we had 16 yearling or older Nigerian goats, 8 ND kids, 6 hair sheep cross ewes and 3 lambs consuming from two mineral buffet feeders.  These numbers indicate the totals for both feeders.  All animals are on pasture with supplemental hay available free choice this month.

This is the beginning of a project to track exact totals of the individual minerals my herd is consuming in the mineral buffet.  We began April with 12 does, 4 bucks and 21 kids.  Kids go home this month, so we end April with 12 does, 4 bucks and 8 kids.  We also have 6 hair sheep ewes and 3 lambs consuming mineral from the buffet.  We have two feeders and all animals are rotationally accessing them both, so I’m putting total consumption here without differentiating between groups.  Also in April, I refilled the mineral feeder that had not been in use for a bit.  I fill small containers and store them out at this feeder since it’s a ways from the barn, so the totals here reflect filling those jars, but not actual consumption.  It will balance out over time and is easier than tracking consumption out of the jars into the feeders.

Columns are labeled by their week ending date and all weights are shown in ounces to keep it consistent when large or small amounts are added.

On MSM: it is simply purified feed grade sulfur but we had lice for the first time in 5 years.  I polled the group and concluded that my goats didn’t consume the buffet sulfur because I didn’t refresh it.  While I was figuring that out, I put out MSM to get ahead of the lice.  Sulfur consumption has been noted since replacing the old sulfur and I am back to not including MSM.

Ounces listed are how much I put into the feeders and small storage jars at the far away feeder.  Subsequent refills will indicate what they actually consume each month in the feeders.