One of the things I love most about the mineral buffet system is that it turns your goats into data.
Not in a cold, clinical way – in a “they’re constantly telling you what they need if you just pay attention” way.
I recently pulled our sales data from last January to see what minerals goats across hundreds of herds were reaching for most. The results were fascinating, and once you understand the “why” behind each one, completely predictable.
Your goats aren’t randomly grazing the buffet. They’re self-prescribing.
The Top 5 Minerals Goats Wanted Last January
1. Copper
Copper was the runaway winner – almost double the sales of any other mineral.
This makes sense when you understand what copper does: it supports immune function, maintains coat health and color, and plays a critical role in iron metabolism. Winter is stressful. Immune systems are working harder. Coats are working overtime to provide insulation.
Copper is also one of the minerals goats are most commonly deficient in, especially in certain geographic regions. If your goats are hitting the copper hard, they’re telling you something.
2. Silicon
This one is always a heavy hitter, but especially in late pregnancy when tiny bodies are busy being built.
Silicon supports connective tissue, joint health, hoof integrity, and skin condition. Winter is physically demanding. Frozen ground is hard on hooves and joints. Bodies are under structural stress.
When I thought about it that way, it made perfect sense that goats would reach for silicon in the dead of winter.
3. Vitamins A, D & E
Here’s where goat intelligence really shines.
Less daylight means less natural vitamin D synthesis. Goats know this on some level – their bodies feel the deficit even if they can’t articulate it. Vitamin A supports immune function and vision (days are darker, too). Vitamin E works synergistically with selenium for muscle function and immune health.
The fact that this blend spiked in January tells me goats are compensating for what the winter sun isn’t providing.
4. Selenium
Selenium supports immune function, muscle health, and reproductive success. For herds with does due in February, pre-kidding demand is already ramping up.
Selenium and Vitamin E together are the classic “pre-kidding” combination that conventional wisdom tells us to inject. But on the buffet, goats are reaching for these themselves – taking what they need, when they need it, without us having to intervene.
5. Vitamins C & B
The stress vitamins.
Vitamin C supports immune function and acts as an antioxidant during times of stress. B vitamins support energy metabolism and nervous system function. Winter is metabolically expensive – staying warm requires more energy, and stress depletes B vitamins quickly.
Again, goats reaching for exactly what you’d expect during a demanding season.
What This Data Actually Means
This isn’t just interesting trivia. This is thousands of goats across hundreds of herds, all independently reaching for similar minerals at similar times.
They weren’t following a protocol. They weren’t told what to eat. They were simply given options and allowed to choose.
And collectively, they chose immune support, structural support, and stress support – exactly what bodies need in winter.
This is the foundation of the buffet philosophy: goats are smarter about their own needs than we give them credit for. Our job isn’t to calculate and prescribe. It’s to provide options and observe.
What to Watch in Your Own Herd
If you’re running a mineral buffet, pay attention to what’s disappearing fastest this month.
- Heavy copper consumption? Your herd might be fighting off immune challenges or dealing with regional deficiency.
- Silicon flying out of the feeder? Structural stress, possibly related to frozen ground or limited movement.
- Vitamin blends popular? They’re compensating for reduced sunlight and increased metabolic demand.
The buffet isn’t just a feeding system – it’s a communication system. Your goats are constantly giving you information. The question is whether we’re paying attention.
For the Skeptics
I know some people read this and think, “How do goats know what minerals they need?”
I’ll write a whole post about this soon, but the bottom line, that you can easily replicate with the minerals in front of you, is that minerals they–or you!–are deficient in will taste and smell sweet, while minerals they are replete in (have enough of) will taste and smell bitter.
I’ve watched goats completely ignore a mineral for months, then suddenly consume it heavily – and two weeks later, I understand why. I’ve seen does increase selenium intake before I even knew they were pregnant. I’ve watched the herd collectively shift consumption patterns with weather changes.
They know. Bodies contain deep, innate wisdom.
Our ancestors understood this. For thousands of years, humans provided salt licks, mineral-rich forages, and access to diverse landscapes – and trusted animals to balance themselves. It’s only in the last century that we decided we knew better.
The data suggests maybe we don’t.
