Vitamins and minerals are usually
present in very small amounts in feeds. Mammals do not need a large
amount of them. However, they are extremely
important to animal
health. Too much or
too little of them can make an animal sick.
Vitamins
A - is produced in the goat’s body from
beta-carotene which in turn is found in green plants. The goat stores vitamin A in its
liver and fat and use this source if green feed is lacking. A goat is unlikely to
suffer a vitamin A deficiency unless it goes without beta-carotene
for a long time. Good
green, leafy fresh hay is an excellent source of beta-carotene
unlike old, weathered hay. Vitamin A helps your goat to have good
eyesight, be fertile, and fight infections. It also helps keep the surfaces
of her skin and internal organs healthy.
B - unlike us, goats do not need to be fed
the B vitamins. This
is because all of the B vitamins can be manufactured by
micro-organisms in the rumen. However, if the goat gets a digestive
problem like acidosis from eating too many concentrates, the
healthy
micro-organisms that make Thiamine (Vitamin B1) may be
killed off. Thiamine
is so important that if the goat is not quickly injected with it,
she may start staggering, convulsing and die from a metabolic
disease called polioencephalomalacia.
C - this vitamin is also made by
goats. It is made in
their body tissue!
D - this vitamin is produced in the skin
of goats that are out in sunlight. It should be provided in the diet
of goats that are kept indoors. Fresh, sun-cured hay is an
excellent source of vitamin D. Vitamin D is needed for proper bone
growth and health. Rickets in goat kids (weak,
small bones resulting in a stunted, hunchback look) and brittle
bones in adults are possible signs that vitamin D is lacking
(deficient) in the diet. The goat needs the proper balance
of the minerals, calcium and phosphorous, and adequate vitamin D in
order to have healthy, strong bones.
E - works with the mineral, selenium, to
allow normal growth.
“White muscle” disease is a degeneration of the muscle tissue that
affects young kids. It
can be prevented or improved with vitamin E and selenium
treatment.
K - is made by the micro-organisms in the
rumen. It is also
plentiful in many feeds. It is needed to help your blood
to clot.
Minerals
Calcium (Ca) - is critical to the goat and
must be supplied by his feed. Like other minerals it can not be
manufactured by rumen micro-organisms. It has many uses in the body
and is crucial for bone health and growth. Calcium is constantly being
added to and removed from bones so it must always be present in the
goat’s diet. Legume hays like alfalfa are higher in Ca than grass
hays like timothy.
Phosphorous (P) - is
also important on a daily basis. It must be fed in the correct
proportion to Ca in
your goat’s feed. The
ratio of Ca to P should never drop below 1.2 : 1 and vitamin D must
also be available.
Calcium and P are very
important for lactating does and growing kids. They require a Ca:P ratio of @ 2:1 (two times as much Ca
as P). Too much P
compared to Ca can lead to urinary calculi in wethers. Pregnant does should not be fed a
Ca:P ratio that is very high in Ca as this can predispose them to a
metabolic disease called milk fever. In contrast, a doe needs a
high Ca to P ratio once she is milking. This is because she is
excreting lots of Ca every day in her milk. Most grains are high in
P and low in Ca.
Sodium (Na) and Chlorine
(Cl) together make common table salt. Salt is an important supplement
for goats, although just like humans some goats will eat more salt
than they really need. Salt is important for many bodily
functions.
Potassium (K) - is
present in good, fresh forages so you usually don’t have to add it
to goat feed.
Iron (Fe) and
Copper (Cu) are important ingredients in blood. A lack of either can lead to
anemia. Usually the
small amounts of these minerals present in a goat’s regular diet
are enough. Therefore,
deficiencies are rare except occasionally in those goat kids that are fed exclusively on
milk for a prolonged time. This is because milk is lacking
in iron. If needed, iron can be given in an injectable form. Some
soils are very deficient in Cu. Goats grazing on these soils may
become anemic and have dull, washed out coats. These goats may benefit from Cu
in their trace mineral blocks. However, sheep and goat kids can be
easily poisoned by too much copper especially if they are getting
very little molybdenum (another mineral) in their diet. Avoid giving these animals a salt
block containing Cu that has been made for horses or dairy
cattle. It may contain
too much Cu. Instead give them a sheep trace mineral block. Adult lactating goats have
a greater tolerance for Cu and can generally tolerate a cattle
block.
Iodine (I) is
deficient in some soils in the US. It is needed by the thyroid gland
which produces hormones to help regulate the body. Iodized salt can
be fed in deficient areas.
Sulfur (S) is an ingredient or component of
many proteins. Rumen
micro-organisms need it to build proteins. Most feeds contain sulfur but if
you are feeding urea or some other non-protein nitrogen source, you
may not be providing enough sulfur to your goat.
Magnesium (Mg) -
there is usually enough Mg in goat feeds. However, lush, fast growing,
green pastures that have been heavily fertilized with Nitrogen and
K or are high in nitrates because of cool, wet, overcast conditions
can become very deficient in Mg. This can lead to a condition in
goats called grass tetany or grass staggers. The goat will become very excited
and may convulse and die. Grass tetany is treated with
intravenous injections of Ca and Mg. Too much Mg can predispose
a wether to urinary calculi.
Selenium (Se) - most soils in our
area are lacking in Selenium. Selenium and vitamin E work
together to prevent white muscle disease, retained placentas and to
reduce susceptibliity to worms and disease.
Zinc (Zn), Manganese
(Mn),
Fluoride (Fl) and Cobalt
(Co) are all needed in trace (very tiny) amounts by
goats and are usually sufficient in a regular diet. However, Co is deficient in many
soils of central NY.
Cobalt may need to be added to the goat’s diet in her salt or
concentrate. Without Co, the rumen micro-organisms can not make the
B vitamins, vitamin C or vitamin K.
