6 Best Salt Lick Dispensers for Goats

You walk out to the goat pasture after a hard rain and see it: a soupy, brown puddle where your expensive mineral block used to be. The goats, who desperately need those nutrients, won’t touch the gritty mess. This is a classic, money-wasting scenario that every goat owner faces until they get serious about their mineral program. A good mineral feeder isn’t just a convenience; it’s a cornerstone of herd health and a smart financial decision.

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Why Covered Mineral Feeders Are Key for Goat Health

Wasted minerals are wasted money, plain and simple. A 50-pound bag of high-quality goat mineral can be a significant expense, and watching it dissolve into the mud after one downpour is frustrating. A covered feeder protects that investment, ensuring the minerals you bought actually make it into your animals. This simple piece of equipment pays for itself quickly by preventing loss from rain, snow, and dew.

Contamination is an even bigger issue than waste. An open pan or unprotected block on the ground quickly becomes a toilet for your goats or a collection dish for dirt, leaves, and manure. Goats have surprisingly high standards for their minerals and will refuse to eat anything that’s fouled. This leads to mineral deficiencies even when you’re providing supplements, which can cause a cascade of health problems like poor coat condition, weak kids, and a higher parasite load.

Ultimately, a covered feeder is a proactive health management tool. Consistent, free-choice access to clean, dry minerals is non-negotiable for a thriving herd. It supports strong immune function, proper bone development in growing kids, and optimal milk production in does. By keeping minerals palatable and available 24/7, you’re building a more resilient, healthier herd from the inside out.

Little Giant Salt Block Holder: Simple & Effective

This is the classic, entry-level solution you’ll see in countless barns. The Little Giant holder is a molded plastic bracket designed to hold a standard 4-pound salt or mineral block. It screws directly onto a wooden fence post or the wall of a stall, keeping the block off the ground and secure.

Its beauty is its simplicity and low cost. For a few bucks, you solve the problem of goats kicking their block into the mud or bedding. It’s durable enough to withstand plenty of rubbing and licking. However, it offers almost no protection from weather. This feeder is best used inside a barn or under a deep roof overhang where it will be shielded from direct rain. For a couple of goats in a well-sheltered area, it’s often all you need.

Brower 4-Hole Feeder for Multi-Goat Households

When you have more than a few goats, you start to see herd dynamics play out at the feeder. A bossy doe can easily guard a single mineral block, preventing more timid goats from getting what they need. The Brower 4-Hole Feeder, designed for loose minerals, helps solve this problem by providing multiple access points.

This style of feeder typically features a covered reservoir that funnels loose minerals down to four separate ports. Each port is protected by a rubber flap that goats learn to nudge open. This design keeps rain and debris out while allowing several animals to eat at once, reducing competition and ensuring everyone gets a chance. It’s a significant step up in managing herd nutrition.

The main tradeoff is the switch to loose minerals, which are often nutritionally superior but can be more expensive and require a weatherproof feeder like this one. Installation is also more involved than a simple block holder. But for a small herd, the investment often pays off in better overall health and a calmer, less competitive feeding environment.

Behlen Country Hanging Feeder Keeps Minerals Clean

The biggest advantage of a hanging feeder is hygiene. By suspending the mineral tub from a chain, you make it virtually impossible for goats to contaminate it with urine or manure. This is a huge win for keeping loose minerals clean and palatable.

These feeders are often simple, single-bowl designs made of tough polyethylene or galvanized steel. They are incredibly versatile, as you can hang them from a rafter in the barn, a sturdy tree branch in the pasture, or a custom-built frame. This portability makes them an excellent choice for rotational grazing systems where you need to move your mineral station frequently.

The key is to hang it at the right height—low enough for the smallest kid to reach, but high enough to discourage goats from trying to climb in. You also need a very secure anchor point. A heavy-duty eye bolt in a solid wood beam is ideal. The swinging motion can be a deterrent for some timid goats initially, but most figure it out quickly.

Tarter Combo Feeder: A Versatile Pasture Option

For those who value efficiency, a combination feeder is a compelling option. Tarter and similar brands make large, heavy-duty units that typically feature a V-shaped hay rack above a trough for grain or minerals. They are built from heavy-gauge steel and designed to live permanently in a pasture or sacrifice lot.

The primary benefit is consolidating your feeding station. Goats can eat hay and get their minerals in the same spot. The roof that covers the hay also provides excellent weather protection for the trough below, keeping your minerals dry in all but the most severe, wind-driven rain. It’s a space-saver and a time-saver.

However, this design isn’t perfect. Hay, stems, and dust will inevitably fall from the rack into the mineral trough, requiring you to clean it out regularly. These feeders are also large, heavy, and expensive. They are a serious piece of infrastructure for a permanent setup, not a portable solution for a rotating pasture.

Redmond Rock-On-A-Rope: Natural & Engaging

This product cleverly sidesteps the feeder issue altogether. The Redmond Rock-On-A-Rope is a large, natural mineral rock harvested from a deposit in Utah, with a hole drilled through it for hanging. You simply hang it from a beam or tree branch, and the goats do the rest.

The "on-a-rope" design is brilliant. It’s impossible for goats to soil it, and it stays completely dry unless it’s in a direct downpour, where it sheds water easily. It also provides a form of enrichment; goats seem to enjoy the challenge of licking the moving rock. It’s a simple, maintenance-free, and effective way to provide a salt source.

The major consideration is that you are limited to Redmond’s specific mineral profile. While it’s an excellent natural salt with trace minerals, it may not be a complete nutritional package for your herd, especially if your region has specific soil deficiencies. Many farmers use a Redmond Rock as a supplemental salt lick in addition to a balanced, loose mineral mix offered in a separate feeder.

Sioux Steel Upright Feeder for Weather Resistance

If your primary battle is with the weather, the Sioux Steel Upright Feeder is your best ally. These are the tanks of the mineral feeder world. Built from heavy-duty galvanized steel, they are designed to be virtually indestructible and completely weatherproof.

These feeders stand on the ground and often feature a rotating hood or a deep, angled opening protected by a rubber flap. Wind, rain, and snow simply can’t get inside to the loose minerals. Their weight and low center of gravity also make them impossible for even the most determined goat to tip over or move.

This level of durability comes at a price. These are among the most expensive mineral feeders available and are complete overkill for someone with two or three goats. But for a larger herd in an exposed pasture, this is a "buy it once, cry once" investment that will protect your mineral supply for decades, saving you far more in wasted minerals over its lifetime.

Choosing Your Feeder: Key Factors for Your Herd

Your first decision point is what kind of minerals you’re feeding.

• Blocks: Convenient and cheap, but require a simple holder. They may not offer complete nutrition.
• Loose Minerals: Generally offer a more balanced and absorbable nutritional profile, but require a covered feeder to prevent waste and contamination.

Next, consider your herd size and behavior. A couple of pet wethers will be perfectly happy with a single block holder inside their shed. A herd of ten does with a pecking order will benefit immensely from a multi-station feeder that reduces competition and ensures timid animals get their share.

Think about where the feeder will live. Is it going in a permanent location, like a barn stall or sacrifice lot? A heavy, stationary feeder is a great choice. If you practice rotational grazing, you need something portable and lightweight, like a hanging feeder or a smaller plastic model you can move easily.

Finally, balance your budget against durability. A cheap plastic feeder might seem like a good deal, but if your Boer buck destroys it in six months, you haven’t saved anything. Sometimes, investing in a more expensive, robust steel feeder is the most economical choice in the long run, especially when you factor in the cost of minerals it will save from spoilage.

Ultimately, the best mineral feeder is the one that fits your specific operation, herd size, and climate. Protecting your mineral investment isn’t a luxury—it’s a critical part of managing a healthy, productive herd. By keeping minerals clean, dry, and accessible, you’re making one of the smartest and simplest upgrades to your entire goat program.