feeding ammonium chloride

[deschutes dawn]

Just curious, how do all of you feed ammonium chloride to the boys? Also, if I mix it with the groups minerals, how does it affect the pregnant (I hope!) does?

[Huckleberry]

Because we lost one of our boys to UC and another was blocked we drench our big boys with 1.5 teaspoons of AC mixed with gatorade for 5 days every 5th week. The little boys get it mixed in their minerals.

[Dave-Trinity-Farms]

I also mix it in the minerals and do a treatment. I found that with the minerals, if they dont want any, then they are not getting any. And it may even be it effects the taste enough that they dont want it as much. Going to be doing a side by side taste test with Legion and Lincoln to confirm. As for the treatment I give them a small scoop of grain and pour the 1.5 teaspoons over the top of it once a week. It pretty much equals out to the same thing as the 5-7 day treatment thing but just on a more regular basis. I will lightly dampen the grain so that the AC will stick to it, instead of dropping down into the bottom of the pan.

As for pregger does, I have no idea if its bad for them. Ill text my vet tomorrow and see what he has to say but it may be best to contact the maker and directly ask them.

[Curtis King]

I also mix it in the minerals and do a treatment. I found that with the minerals, if they dont want any, then they are not getting any. And it may even be it effects the taste enough that they dont want it as much. Going to be doing a side by side taste test with Legion and Lincoln to confirm. As for the treatment I give them a small scoop of grain and pour the 1.5 teaspoons over the top of it once a week. It pretty much equals out to the same thing as the 5-7 day treatment thing but just on a more regular basis. I will lightly dampen the grain so that the AC will stick to it, instead of dropping down into the bottom of the pan.

As for pregger does, I have no idea if its bad for them. Ill text my vet tomorrow and see what he has to say but it may be best to contact the maker and directly ask them.

---

I do almost the same program Dave is doing.
I buy the 25# bags of Golden Blend Mineral Mix from Hoegger Supply and mix 1.5 #s of AC into the 25# bag. I purchased a new clean 5 gallon bucket with lid at WINCO foods, comes with the neet yellow handle for prying the lid off. Mix the 1.5#s of AC into the 25 # bag of minerals. shake well and roll it around in your living room about five times and your good to go. Serve it FREE CHOICE in the mineral feeders. I secure the feeder trays inside the goat houses to keep things clean and dry.

I also sprinkle it on top of the wet/cob grain when Im doing feet in the stantion about every three weeks. This is the only time I give them grain/wet-cobb. Top this with lots of excersize and fresh clean water daily.

I still think more research is needed on this topic and were all just kinda winging it as we go along. UC- is very scarry.

"Long Live The Pack Goat"
Curtis King

[Alicia]

This was great to read. We just lost a goat to kidney stones and purchased some ammonium chloride. I have been sprinkling in with the other minerals. I heard it can go in water also. Is this true?
Thanks,
Alicia

[Dave-Trinity-Farms]

It is true. A little harder to figure out the amounts. Cant really be refilling their water till they finish it and cant have an auto water on it id guess.

[Saltlick]

Good to know. I just moved the goats today to my place in Nevada and the water is really hard, it leaves white residue on everything and I'm worried about the goats getting stones from the calcium in the water (one goat, who was castrated before I got him as a baby, already had stones a couple of years ago but he got lucky and survived). I think I could get them to do the once a week in a handful of damp grains thing - do you think this would be sufficient? They are already too picky about their minerals so I'm not even going to bother with that.
Hi Everyone!

[DownUnder Gal]

Mine will eat AC mixed in with their free choice kelp meal - short of drenching it with something palatable like molasses that's the only way I can get it into them of their own volition.

[hihobaron]

Hello All
Question for ya'll
RE: AC
My goat feed says on the bag label it has AC in it.
Is that good enough for my boy's or do they need more, the mineral mix I use also has AC in it.
That is fed free choice from a dry location.
Are they getting enough or do I need to add more or dose every few months.
Both of the above I do not have % of ration at hand.
All I know is both are "Commercial" feeds/supplements for goats.
FYI: When the goat boy's get in with the horses they will for a little bit hit on the standard Trace Mineral Block for General Livestock use. As they do free range most of the day here and know how to get in with the horses they can get to that anytime they want. The fence there is built with walk through for people that horses /large animals can not get through. Goats on the other hand "ZIP" through them faster than I can. I figure if one of the horses gets nasty to them they have a good "Escape" route.
I keep the boy's with me and have them trained to stay in the close area to were they see me last. 50 -75 yards.
Because the rest of the farm is not fenced for goats and the across the road people have milk goats that the boy's if given the chance will go visit with a fence between them. At least I know were they will be if they don't stick around.
KID count over there is 7 buckling's NO doeling's and all are pure white.
Any one here on the East Coast that wants some nice Alpine X Saanen kids let me know soon.
Weaning time they are all going to the local stock action. (Meat Goats)
Happy Trails
hihobaron Pete and Sam


  See we have rocks to climb here too.JPG (Size: 64.89 KB / Downloads: 52)

[DownUnder Gal]

Nice pic HHB.
The goat mix we have in Australia has AC added to it - it doesn't say how much is in there but it's simply not enough. I have my two working wethers' urine analysed every 3-4 months for crystals (which are a pre-cursor to urinary calculi) and the one that was on the goat mix had some pretty serious crystals forming at one point about 9 months ago. I immediately took him off the goat mix, fed him different hard feed, started drenching him daily with 50ml apple cider vinegar and then added AC to the kelp meal. No trace of crystals ever since.