# How much ammonium chloride?



## Handyman (Sep 11, 2009)

I have two wethers that I am raising for meat. They are about 3 months old right now. They are on good pasture (50% clover + rye grass and 50% brushy woodlot), have access to free-choice hay, and a goat mineral block. I also give them 1/2# of feed per day per wether. This is the feeding regimen that the breeder was using and he recommended I continue with it (especially because they will go in the freezer in 2 months). The feed and the block do *not *provide any ammonium chloride. 

How much ac should my wethers be getting? I have read this page 
http://www.fiascofarm.com/goats/stones.htm

The above site has a chart for top dressing feed, and it says a 1% addition of ac is 4.54 grams, or 1 teaspoon. However, under that chart it says "top dress 1 tsp per 150 pounds on your goat's food per day". So is that 1 tsp per 150# of feed or per 150# of body weight? 


I know some people don't feed grain to wethers and some don't like mineral blocks. I'd like to stick with the same feed and block the breeder had them on, unless you convince me otherwise!


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

My wether gets a teaspoon a day. I make a dosage ball out of peanut butter and feed it to him that way.


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## Rechellef (Oct 5, 2010)

I add a teasopoon to my buckling's ration - he doesn't seem to mind eating it in his grain. Some folks just mix it with their loose mineral.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

Switch to a loose mineral instead of that block. Blocks are WAY to high in salt (that's how they hold shape) and low in readily available minerals. Essentially, the animal only licks until it's tounge gets tired or its salt needs are fufilled - which is often long before it's mineral requirements are fufilled. 

Another reason to switch to a loose mineral is because it's much easier to feed AC that way. I mix in about 1/4 cup per 6+ cups minerals. I mostly don't measure it though...


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## mpete (Mar 4, 2008)

I usually don't worry about AC for my market goats... it takes the stones awhile to form, but I do feed them a 2 part calcium/1 part phosphorus diet which is suppose to help prevent the stones. Also, AC only dissolves one type of stone, but I don't remember if it was the calcium or the phosphorus base stones...


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

I would also switch to a loose mineral for all your goats, like Mygoat already said it's much better for them for all the reason she stated, plus there isn't enough copper in them for the goats needs.
For wethers going to the freezer in 2 months they probly don't need ammonium chloride, but for my bucks & wether I add the AC right to my loose mineral plus they get a pelleted feed that has Ammonium chloride in it as well.


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## Creamers (Aug 3, 2010)

I use about a teasp a day


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## Handyman (Sep 11, 2009)

Thank you


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