DIY vitamins & minerals for goats

This is something I started researching years ago, when I wanted to learn what plants and herbs I could feed to my goats to help boost their intake of vitamins and minerals. So many plants are toxic for goats, so I looked at lots of lists, as well as researched vitamin and mineral content for them. I feed them both fresh and dried, as a topping to their feed. This is in addition to their mineral salt. I live in the southeastern US, so while the list is somewhat tailored for my region, many of these plants are found elsewhere too. They're organized by nutrient because I have found myself working with nutrient deficiencies, and this was the easiest way to address them.

This list is a work in progress. If you have suggestions to add, please share!

Vitamin A (& beta carotene) - sweet potatoes, carrots, greens (kale, turnip, mustard, dandelion, spinach, collards), butternut squash, dried herbs (parsley, basil, marjoram,dill, oregano), fresh thyme, cantaloupe. Also raw grape leaves.

B vitamins Goats can synthesize their own B vitamins, so that supplementation is not strictly necessary. I'm including them here as part of my original information. B vitamin deficiencies, if they do exist  are apparently more of a problem with goats fed a diet high in concentrates.)

B1 (thiamin): yeast extract, seeds (sesame, sunflower), dried sage, rosemary, thyme, and kudzu.

B2 (riboflavin): yeast extract, dried herbs (spearmint, parsley), wheat bran, sesame seeds, and kudzu.

B3 (niacin): yeast extract, bran (wheat & rice), and kudzu.

B5 (pantothenic acid): bran (rice & wheat), sunflower seeds

B6 (Pyridoxine): bran (wheat & rice), dried herbs (garlic, tarragon, sage, spearmint, basil, chives, savory, rosemary, dill, oregano, and marjoram), seeds (sunflower, sesame), molasses, sorghum, bananas

B9 (Folate): yeast extract, dried herbs (spearmint, rosemary, basil, chervil, marjoram, thyme, parsley), sunflower seeds, greens (spinach, turnips, collard), cowpeas, broccoli, wheat germ, cantaloupe, bananas, endive, flax seeds

B12 (cobalamin): there are no plant sources for vitamin B12. However, goats can synthesize their own with cobalt. The only plant sources I've seen listed for cobalt are green leafy vegetables some herbs, with no specific details.

Vitamin C: (can also by synthesized by livestock) fresh thyme and parsley, greens (kale, mustard), broccoli, rose hips, cantaloupe, tomatoes, dried basil, rosemary, and citrus (my goats love chopped citrus rinds).

Vitamin D: sunshine

Vitamin E: sunflower seeds, dried herbs (basil, oregano, sage, parsley, thyme)

Vitamin K: dried herbs (basil, sage, thyme, marjoram, oregano), fresh herbs (parsley, basil), greens (kale, dandelion, collards, turnip, mustard, beet, Swiss Chard), broccoli, cabbage, carrots, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, figs

Calcium - Dried savory, celery seed, dried thyme, dried dill, dried marjoram, sage, oregano, spearmint, parsley, poppy seed, chervil, dried basil, comfrey, sesame seeds, flax seeds, raw turnip greens, Dandelion greens, Kale, Mustard Greens, amaranth leaves, collard greens, and kudzu. Also savory, spearmint, rosemary, chervil, fennel, coriander seed, chamomile, chicory, cleavers, coltsfoot, horsetail, mustard, sorrel, plantain, willow.

Cobalt - is the precursor to vitamin B12 and goats can synthesize their own B12 if they get cobalt in their diet. I have not been able to find a specific list of goat acceptable foods that are rich in cobalt (i.e. vegan). Several places vaguely mention green leafy vegetables and pulses, but cobalt is usually found in animal foods, which goats do not eat.

Copper - sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, & squash seeds, Dried Basil, Marjoram, Oregano, Thyme, Savory, and Parsley. Also coriander leaf, spearmint, fennel seed, dill, burdock, chickweed, chicory, cleavers, dandelion, fennel, garlic, horseradish, sorrel, yarrow.

Iodine - seaweed, especially kelp, also asparagus, cleavers, garlic.

Iron - Dried Thyme, dried Parsley, dried Spearmint, dried Marjoram, Cumin Seed, dried Dill, dried Oregano, dried Coriander, dried Basil, ground Turmeric, ground Savory, Anise Seed, Fenugreek Seed, dried Tarragon, dried Chervil, dried Rosemary, seeds (pumpkin, squash, sesame, sunflower, fenugreek, and fennel), and kudzu. Also bamboo, asparagus, blackberry, burdock, chicory, comfrey, dandelion, nettle, parsley, raspberry, rose, scullcap, strawberry, vervain, wormwood.

Magnesium - Bran (Rice, Wheat, and Oat), Dried Coriander, Spearmint, Dill, Sage (not for milking does), Basil, Savory, seeds (pumpkin, squash, watermelon Flax, Sesame, & sunflower), and molasses. Also parsley, fennel seed, marjoram, oregano, dill & thyme, carrot leaves, dandelion, hops, marshmallow, meadowsweet, mullein, oak, slippery elm, rose.

Manganese - dried ginger, dry spearmint, parsley, dried marjoram, wheat germ, bran (Rice, Wheat, and Oat), seeds (pumpkin, squash, sesame, and sunflower). Also basil, thyme, fennel, coriander, savory, oregano, dill, and bamboo.

Phosphorous - bran, wheat germ, seeds (pumpkin, squash, sesame, sunflower, and flax), chickweed, dill, golden rod, marigold. [Note: pregnant does need a particular calcium to phosphorous ratio to prevent hypocalcemia.]

Potassium - spinach, Swiss Chard, Kale, Collards. bananas, parsley, dill, basil, rice bran, molasses, seeds (squash, pumpkin, sunflower, watermelon). Also chervil, coriander leaves, spearmint, fennel seed, marjoram, ginger, and oregano, borage, carrot leaves, chamomile, couch grass, dandelion, elder, honeysuckle, meadowsweet, mullein, nettle, oak, peppermint, plantain, scullcap, wormwood.

Selenium - sunflower seeds, bran (wheat, oat, rice), garlic, chervil, fenugreek, ginger, and dried chervil, coriander, parsley, and dill seed.

Sodium - cleavers, clover, comfrey, dill, fennel, garlic, marshmallow, nettle, violet, woodruff

Zinc - wheat germ, seeds (pumpkin, squash, watermelon, sesame), and buckwheat. Dried herbs and seeds: chervil, basil, thyme, parsley, coriander, sage (not for milking does), savory, ginger, and seeds (dill, coriander, and fennel).

The following isn't exactly what you're talking about but it's closely related and you may find it interesting. I was watching The Real Organic Project on YouTube , they had a guest named Mark Schatzker, who wrote "The Dorito Effect". Anyways I'm reading his book and there is a section about goats and some of the research done on them. I think you may find it useful. Here's a link to one of the guys Mark Schatzker wrote about, Dr. Fred Provenza: https://thriftyhomesteader.com/nutritional-wisdom-of-goats/

We learned this: If, for instance, you have minerals available to them, and they’re eating minerals to their needs, and then you infuse those same minerals into them, they form an aversion. They don’t want to eat the straw anymore. Why? Because it’s too much. It’s in excess of what they need.

When we first started doing those studies, and we would offer cheap—for instance, a really poor quality food, like straw. And then, after they ate that, we would infuse nutrients directly into the bloodstream or put them directly into the rumen. And then we’d see that it totally changed liking for this not so good food as a function of doing that, and it just stops you in your tracks because it becomes real. It’s not… It’s you’re watching that happen. The next day, the group that got infused with a nutrient that they needed is really showing a great liking for this straw. The group that got water isn’t showing any liking at all—I’m trying to make it come alive. But, when we first started doing those studies, it took me a long time to fully understood what I saw, to really fathom that you can put something in their gut and it totally changes their liking and how much of that food they eat.

tl;dr If goats eat rat urine it's for the nitrogen, if they don't eat specific plant shoots it's probably because they're toxic. Goats have "post-ingestive feedback", which is what the quotes above are talking about. Sheep get sick if they eat bitterbrush, however sheep don't get sick if they eat bitterbrush and sagebush together.

Hopefully that's useful.  

Black walnut is a good source of iodine for goats.  They will eat some of the leaves  but unless starved, they know when to quit.  Goats relish and need vining plants and brambles which are very high in minerals and protein.  But even that they can overdo.  I like to make sure they have access to lots of different plants and I give mine a free choice mineral formulated for goats.  However, found out they were still deficient in copper so started giving them half to a teaspoonful of copper sulfate with their sprouted oats and sunflower seed daily.   Healthiest, most vigorous babies we ever had, up and Walking/running within minutes of birth.   The copper sulfate kills parasites too.  Always put a half teaspoon of calcium carbonate in feed with it to buffer the acidity and protect their gut.  The Pat Coleby book on
Natural Goat Care was life changing for us and it sure saved our goats.

Minerals are the key to health in both livestock and humans, also in plants.  However, you have to be able to assimilate them.   In the soil or the gut microbes are needed to break down minerals and digest them.  In an older animal whose teeth may be worn down, feed softer foods and not so much really coarse or woody plants.  They may need a little extra to compensate and even a little aloe in their feed ration now and then to heal their gut.  

I listened to a talk last spring by a Tennessee farmer who has goats and cows that said letting them graze mulberry and willow generally 'cures all that ails them'. I wish I had taken more notes, as he spoke highly of how complete a food they were for these creatures.

Have you noticed improvement in your goats’ deficiencies since feeding these foods specifically for minerals?
I was actually printing your list from your website before I found tour post here too 😁.

Rachel Lindsay wrote:I listened to a talk last spring by a Tennessee farmer who has goats and cows that said letting them graze mulberry and willow generally 'cures all that ails them'. I wish I had taken more notes, as he spoke highly of how complete a food they were for these creatures.

Rachel, I'd love to hear more about this, do you remember his name or if he has anything on the internet? I tried to grow willow, but our summers tend to be too hot and dry. I do have a mulberry tree, though, which I should add to my research list.

Angel Bee wrote:Have you noticed improvement in your goats’ deficiencies since feeding these foods specifically for minerals?
I was actually printing your list from your website before I found tour post here too 😁.

Angel, good question! Actually, the herbs and greens are part of a larger feeding regimen that I've worked out over the years, which started because I live in an area with extremely deficient soils. I had a lot of health issues with my goats in my early years of goat keeping, and so did a lot of research. All the problems pointed back to mineral deficiencies, which I've tried to address from multiple angles.

The first two resources I found were Pat Coleby's Natural Goat Care, and Neal Kinsey's Hands-On Agronomy (Of which permies sells the video workshop here - https://permies.com/wiki/193088/Neal-Kinsey-Hands-Agronomy-Workshop). These books were pretty much the foundation of what I do. We began a pasture soil improvement strategy, beginning with remineralizing, and have continued with grazing rotation, diversity planting, and chop and drop. I gradually customized my Coleby Mineral Mix to address the mineral problems that I saw in my goats. Gradually, as I researched edible versus poisonous plants for goats, I also researched their nutrient content. That's when I started adding these plants routinely to my goats feed, both fresh and dried, to top dress their feed ration.

My routine now, is to daily gather a variety of fresh greens and herbs, chop them for "goat salad," and toss the salad with a dash of organic raw apple cider vinegar and a sprinkling of the mineral mix plus a loose goat mineral. They love this!

two of my girls enjoying their goat salad

And yes, with the combination of all these things I have seen great improvement in my goats' health.

That's probably way more of an answer than you were looking for, lol. But it's a holistic approach, which I have found to be more effective than one or two measures.

Forrest, welcome to Permies! I'm familiar with The Thrifty Homesteader, and in fact, Deborah pops into Permies every now and then with good info on goats.

Faye, I didn't research black walnut because we don't have any of the trees on our property. That's another one to research though. A quick look indicates that the hulls are richest in iodine, which can be extracted as an iodine tincture. That's useful information.

Goats go for plants like shrubs and vines because they are deep rooted and can pull up minerals from deep within the soil. Goats have higher mineral needs than most other species, which makes them love their browse.

As you and Forrest both mention, goats are also great self-regulators for their nutritional needs. Actually, there's a word for that, but I can't recall it at present. I'll see if I can find it . . .