Tough Rut

UPDATE 1/11/19: They didn’t eat it at first but finally started eating it and are now going through a 33.3 pound block every two weeks.

Our two bucks have had a stressful rut season and have lost a lot weight. Particularly, MLRT Caesar, who rarely stops pacing the fence line. He doesn’t take time to eat! Their fecals are great with very, very low EPG so it isn’t internal parasites.

We have always grained the boys twice daily and they have free choice hay, loose minerals, cobalt, and copper sulfate. And they keep great weight and superb growth outside of the rut season. However, we just started using a Dumor Goat Block that is like a grain but has a 10-12% salt content which serves as a “limiter” to keep them from overeating it. It is a soft block that holds together well yet allows them to eat it easily. The idea is to let them eat 24/7 when they feel like it and maybe they will consume more calories.