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My goats hardly drink water until I tried this. Before this trick I have to keep changing their water daily but now I have to keep refilling their water.
Water is good for every living thing, goats inclusive. But goats and sheep hardly drink because they get some water from fresh plants.
You can encourage them to drink more by adding salt to the water. Try it and see how much water they'll drink.
UPDATE: I believe it is better to have 2 water source for them - fresh water and salt water. That way too much intake of salt will be prevented. Excess salt can cause miscarriage.
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Thanks for sharing. I didn’t know salt water could encourage goats to drink. Simple ideas like this often make the biggest difference in goat health.
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I’ve tried giving them mineral licks. They also drink more after licking.
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How much salt exactly do you add per liter of water?
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Good point about miscarriage. Pregnant does should not be exposed to too much salt.
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(09-04-2025, 10:54 PM)The Farmer Wrote: How much salt exactly do you add per liter of water?
Not much. About 1 table spoon in 3-4 liters
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Henlus Wrote:Not much. About 1 table spoon in 3-4 liters
Ok. Thanks
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Adding some sugar with salt sometimes makes them drink even better.
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Salt stimulates appetite too. My goats eat more after drinking salted water. Careful with young kids and pregnant ones - they don’t need as much salt as adults.
Pregnant does and very young kids should be given fresh water only. But provide a source of vitamins and minerals. Avoid urea sources entirely.
You can also put molasses in water.
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This method works, but it should be occasional, not every single day to avoid problem.
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Salt water is good, but never replace mineral mixtures completely. Goats need more than just sodium chloride.
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You guys are right. It's not good in excess plus minerals and vitamins are better