JOYNIM FARM Goat Farming, Cattle Farm, Laying Hens, Quail Farm, Gardening
Mineral blocks for goats are really needed. Goats can grow better when given mineral intake. Although not the main, but minerals must be available. Mineral administration must be effective. For example by making mineral blocks like this.
Benefits of mineral block for Jamnapari cross goats
Minerals can be very helpful in maintaining the qualities of the Yearling and goat kid. Therefore, the goat’s need for minerals must be met.
However, this is often overlooked. Especially in small-scale farmers.
But more importantly, the need for nutritious feed must be met first. If this is the case, then think about additional minerals.
Indeed in the feed, already contained several types of minerals. However, the number is still small and not enough to meet the needs of goats.
Hence, daily supplementation of minerals is necessary for goats. Although the effect is not visible in a day or two.
But in the long term, the benefits will only be felt later.
Giving minerals to goats does not have to be in the form of mineral blocks. Using mineral mix which is widely sold in farm shops is also good.
The downside is that if it’s just a mineral mix, it’s in powder form. So it will be more effective if it is given in combination.
When do goats need mineral blocks
Every day goats need minerals. Because this mineral is needed to help metabolic processes.
Because metabolism occurs every day, it means that every day goats also need minerals.
Simply put, metabolism is a reaction in the body (chemical reactions) to break down food substances so that energy can be taken. Once dismantled, then taken substances that are useful for building the body.
This metabolism is strongly influenced by hormones and enzymes. These hormones and enzymes, in their function will be more optimal if there are minerals.
But there are times when goats need more minerals. When is it?
The time when the goat was pregnant.
When a goat is pregnant, it’s not just minerals. But the quality of the feed must also be good. If you can do both, it’s even better.
This is because feed and minerals are used to maintain pregnancy in goats, children and later lactation.
When pregnant, feed and minerals are eaten by goats, some are directed as reserves.
This reserve will be used while breastfeeding. That is when the need for milk is greater than the amount of the mother’s ability to eat.[1]
In addition, with quality feed, the genetic quality of the parent can be maximally expressed or described in its offspring.
Try it, we have goats with good quality. For example, Yearling from Jamnapari Cross class A goats.
Then when pregnant, we feed the poor nutrition. What do you think about the goat kid?
Less than optimal, of course, right?
Let it not be like nonsense, there is a study that shows that this mineral can indeed improve the quality of goat production.
This is the research.
Research on the benefits of mineral Block for goats
This research was conducted on 30 female Etawah goats and 2 males. It weighs between 28-30 kg.
The study was conducted for 8 months. That is at 5 months of pregnancy and 3 months of breastfeeding.
Of the 30 female goats, the goats are grouped into two parts.
The first group consisted of 10 goats. Goats in this section are not given additional mineral blocks.
The second group, totaling 20 goats. This second group was given additional mineral blocks.
The mineral blocks consist of the following composition:
salt, lime, cement, premix B (containing macro and micro minerals and vitamins) and Zn biocomplex.
So that all goats can get pregnant at the same time, then done lust synchronization.
Then, after the goat is in heat, the brood is mated with a male that has been prepared.
The result?
The first group, of 10 female Etawa goats, only 8 were pregnant. While in the second group, all 20 goats managed to get pregnant.
These results can be said that mineral blocks can increase the success rate of goats for higher pregnancy. How to detect pregnancy in goats?
But it could be that the failure rate of lust synchronization happens to be in the first group.
However, if this is a failure of synchronization of lust, it should be in the second group.
Because the number of brooders is more, so the chance of failure should be higher.
Henceforth, briefly and concisely the results can be seen in the table below.
| Mineral block effect on goats | ||
| Parameters | Without Mineral Block | With mineral block |
| Weight gain during pregnancy (5 Months) | 7.05 kgs | 7.65 kgs |
| Body weight gain during lactation | 1 kg | 2 kgs |
| Male Birth Weight | 3.3 kgs | 3.65 kgs |
| Female Birth Weight | 2.8 kgs | 3.1 kgs |
| Male Weaning Weight | 12 kgs | 13.2 kgs |
| Female Weaning Weight | 11 kgs | 12.4 kgs |
The outline of the results of his research is like that. From the parameters tested, goats that were given mineral blocks had higher results.
This cannot be considered a mere coincidence. Because the goats that were tested were fed the same. The location of the farm is also the same, one location.
Let’s look at the parameters one by one.
Increase in body weight of broodstock during pregnancy. For 5 months, the broodstock experienced a total body weight gain of that much.
7.05 kg for broodstock that were not given block minerals and 7.65 kg for brooders with mineral blocks.
Body weight gain during lactation. After the calf is born, the brood will enter a period of lactation or breastfeeding.
This lactation period was only studied for 3 months.
During this time, the brooders who were given the mineral block gained higher body weight. That is as much as 2 kg.
This can be interpreted, goats that were given mineral blocks had a better ability to recover than those that were not given mineral blocks.
Besides that, it can also speed up the preparation for the next lust.
Male and female birth weight. Kids born to parents who were given mineral blocks had higher weights.
The difference in the weight of the puppies is also not bad, about 3 ounces or 300 grams.
Weaning weights of males and females. The difference in weaning weight is also quite large. For males, the difference in weaning weight is 1.2 kg. As for the female cempe, the difference in weaning weight is 1.4 kg.
Weaning weight difference of this size is quite good. In terms of appearance, goat kid with a body weight difference of 1 kg is already different.
Wouldn’t this increase the bargaining power of the goat kid itself? Buyers must assume that the cempe with high weaning weight will definitely be better in size.
Besides that, why is the weaning weight of this goat kid so different?
Can mineral blocks improve the quality of the mother’s milk? So that the goat kid’s body growth can be faster.
It might be like that.
Conclusion
#. Whatever the reason, providing additional minerals to the goat is still better.
#. Although goats are given mineral blocks, the most important thing is that the feed must be of high quality.
This is because mineral blocks are only as a supporting supplement. It will maximize the absorption of feed nutrients.
If the feed is not of good quality, what will be maximized later?
#. Please provide mineral blocks for their respective goats. But don’t overdo it.
Hopefully the goats are fat – fat and healthy – healthy.
See you again next week.
