Last week we took a field trip to Kalona, Iowa, to pick up supplements for the goats. I thought that pasturing the goats and supplementing with grain and hay during the colder months would fulfill all their nutritional needs, but it turns out that this is not the case. Since goat milk has a high mineral content, higher than cow milk, the goats need mineral supplementation if their diet is not rich enough in certain elements. To fulfill these needs Christine gives the goats blocks of salt to lick, as well as powdered seaweed added to their grain rations. The seaweed and salt have to be mined and imported from coastal areas, so this practice is not sustainable. I would love to research ways to provide all the necessary “extras” with locally grown produce, herbs, and wild plants.
In addition to mineral supplementation, Christine makes sure her herd is free of parasites by giving them a combination of diatomaceous earth and an herbal de-wormer. The diatomaceous earth is benign for the goats, but deadly to parasites anywhere in the digestive tract. The herbal de-wormer, which includes garlic and wormwood, adds an extra punch, as well as extra flavor to the grain. The goats wind up having garlic seaweed breath, but they don’t seem to mind and they sure are healthy!