goat vitamins

Any vitamins in can give to goats over the winter? Any vitamins that might be bad for them?

Gary,
Your goats need free choice loose minerals and also free choice baking soda. They will eat these as needed. If they are a milking breed they need extra calcium in addition to this, especially the heavy milkers. Most complete feeds have minerals already in them. A goat cannot lick enough off a mineral block to get what they need and most mineral blocks have urea which is definitely bad for goats.

Generally they get enough vitamins from good forage and good hay and goats need really good hay, the same quality you would feed a horse, although they will tolerate briers and thorns in it that horses will not. They are nimble eaters and can pick out what they don't want. Also treats like pumpkin or winter squash during winter, or even sweet potatoes will give them Vit. A and some minerals that are beneficial. Don't change feed too fast, let them get used to small amounts first or it can upset their digestive system. If the hay has some green still in it, it still has Beta Carotene which converts to Vit. A.

Hope this helps.