Dietary supplements are a bigger part of keeping goats than most people realize.
It’s really important to make sure they have the widest range of vitamins and minerals to support a healthy body and maintain all their bodily processes.
There are many important minerals, but what about zinc—can goats have zinc?
So, yes, goats can and absolutely should have zinc.
It’s really important for their overall diet, and you’ll begin to notice quite quickly if your goats suffer from zinc deficiency.
But it’s also important to be sure to get the right moderation, as zinc poisoning can be an issue too.
Let’s look further into this.
Is zinc good for goats?
Yes, zinc is a very important mineral in a goat’s diet.
It serves a whole host of functions, and without it, your goat would certainly not be as healthy as it could possibly be.
Zinc is a trace mineral, and your goat does only need very small amounts.
There are as many as 100 enzymes in your goat’s body that need zinc to function properly, though.
It is vital to the proper chemical reactions that are needed to drive the relevant processes.
Zinc is really important in several key areas.
Zinc helps in the creation of DNA, which is where the body gets the instructions on building types of cells, proteins, and other things.
Without adequate zinc, the DNA production would suffer and slow down.
Zinc is also really important for healing damaged tissue.
Without enough zinc in the diet, wounds will heal more slowly, and are at far higher risk of becoming infected.
Many minerals play an important role in healing wounds.
Finally, your goat’s immune system will be overall a lot stronger if you get enough zinc in their diets.
Without it, they will be a lot more susceptible to disease and infection, and worse at fighting it off once it takes hold.
All of this said, it’s important to note that zinc deficiency is actually incredibly uncommon, and usually in fact a secondary deficiency caused by excess calcium in the diet.
This is most commonly caused when goats eat a great deal of alfalfa hay and do not get the rest of the nutrients they need.
Nonetheless, zinc is very important for a goat’s diet.
We’ll talk about where they can get it from shortly, but first, let’s look at the possibilities of excess zinc in the diet.
So, excess zinc rather than too little zinc is much more likely to be a problem for you since they need so little.
Is zinc bad for goats?
Zinc is not bad for goats.
As we’ve just seen, it is essential to their diet.
They need it for the proper functioning of many different bodily processes.
That said, zinc poisoning is also a possibility, and you need to be careful of giving them excess zinc.
It’s very unlikely they will get too much zinc just from their ordinary feed, so just be sure not to overdo it on the supplements.
Consult with a vet if you are unsure how much your goat might need.
Commercial goat feeds generally have adequate zinc in them, as well as guidelines on how much to feed based on your goat’s weight.
Zinc poisoning can cause vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, and other issues.
Given how little zinc a goat needs in their diet, as we mentioned, this is much more likely to be a problem for you than zinc deficiency.
But can they overdose on zinc?
Can goats overdose on zinc?
Large doses of zinc could certainly be enough to cause a fatal overdose for your goat.
This is, however, very unlikely.
Doses of zinc in the range of 10-30 grams can be fatal, but this is far more than you would ever give them in a normal supplement.
For the most part, goats that are fed on enough zinc rich foods will get by just fine without even any supplements.
Small amounts of supplements are always a good choice, nonetheless—but again, consult with a vet if you are at all unsure.
What is a good source of zinc for goats?
Outside of mineral supplements, there are many things you can give to your goats as a source of zinc.
Seeds and nuts are one of your best bets, for something that your goats will enthusiastically eat.
Hemp seeds are a good choice, as well as squash, pumpkin, and sesame seeds.
Cashew nuts are a good choice also—although be careful of moderation here as they are also usually very salty.
Some vegetables contain reasonable concentrations of zinc, though they are generally not the best source.
Potatoes, though, are an okay source of zinc for your goats.
But your best bet is nuts, seeds, and mineral supplements.
So, there are plenty of ways to get zinc into your goat’s diet, from supplements to legumes and nuts.
Be sure to know you are getting the right amount of zinc into their diets to keep them happy, healthy, and free from the issues associated with zinc deficiency.
Mineral deficiencies of any kind in goats can be a big problem, so make sure you are fully aware of all their needs.