6 Best Automatic Mineral Dispensers For Goats That Prevent Waste

Watching your expensive goat minerals turn into a clumpy, rain-soaked brick or get ground into the bedding is one of the small, repeating frustrations of raising goats. You know they need constant access to loose minerals for their health, but open bowls and simple pans are an open invitation for waste. A good mineral feeder isn’t a luxury; it’s a tool that saves money, reduces chores, and directly contributes to a healthier herd.

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Key Features of Waste-Free Goat Mineral Feeders

The most important job of a mineral feeder is to protect its contents from the weather. Rain is the obvious enemy, turning fine mineral powder into a solid, unpalatable block that goats can’t eat. But sun is also a problem, as it can degrade certain vitamins mixed into the blend, reducing its nutritional value over time. A good feeder needs a solid roof or hood.

Just as crucial is keeping the minerals clean. Goats aren’t picky, but they won’t readily consume minerals contaminated with manure, urine, or soaked bedding. An effective feeder is designed to be difficult for them to stand in, poop in, or kick dirt into. This usually means a raised mounting height or a small, protected access port that only allows a muzzle to enter.

Finally, the design has to outsmart a goat’s natural instinct for playful destruction. Goats love to paw, rub, and knock things over. A feeder that can be easily tipped, or one with a large open trough, allows them to sling minerals everywhere just for fun. The best designs secure firmly to a wall or are so heavy they can’t be moved, and they limit access to prevent scooping and flinging.

Little Giant Mineral Feeder: A Durable Classic

The Little Giant feeder is one of the most common sights on hobby farms, and for good reason. It’s made from a single piece of heavy-duty, slightly flexible rubber-like material that is practically indestructible. You can mount it to a wall or post with a couple of screws, and it’s tough enough to withstand rubbing, head-butting, and general goat abuse.

Its primary advantage is its simplicity and durability. There are no moving parts to break and the built-in hood provides decent protection from rain, especially if mounted in a three-sided shelter. For a small herd in a barn, it’s often the perfect starting point. It’s a massive upgrade from an open pan and immediately reduces the most obvious forms of waste.

However, it’s not completely goat-proof. A determined goat can still hook minerals out with its tongue and drop them. They can also be clever about head-butting it from below to knock some out. It’s a huge step in the right direction, but you might still see a small amount of spillage on the ground below it.

Brower 4-Compartment Feeder for Custom Minerals

This feeder is designed for a very specific purpose: offering "cafeteria-style" minerals. Instead of a pre-mixed, all-in-one product, you provide individual minerals—like copper, selenium, and kelp—in separate compartments. The Brower model is a popular choice for this, with a covered design that protects the individual, and often expensive, components.

The theory behind this method is that goats are uniquely able to sense their own nutritional deficiencies and will consume only what they need. This can prevent over-supplementing certain minerals while addressing a specific lack of another. For the dedicated hobby farmer, it offers a fascinating window into your herd’s real-time needs and can be a powerful management tool.

Of course, this approach requires more knowledge and a higher initial investment in both the feeder and the individual minerals. It’s not the right path for a beginner who is just trying to stop their goats from wasting a bag of standard mineral mix. But for those looking to fine-tune their herd’s nutrition, a multi-compartment feeder is the essential piece of equipment.

Goattender PVC Feeder: Simple & Weatherproof

The PVC pipe feeder, whether a DIY project or a commercial version like the Goattender, is the champion of weather protection. The design is brilliantly simple: a vertical reservoir tube holds the loose minerals, which gravity-feeds down to a J-bend or U-shaped opening at the bottom. A goat sticks its nose into the opening to eat, but rain simply cannot get up and into the storage tube.

This design is ideal for pastures or shelters with less-than-perfect weather protection. You can fill it up and be confident the minerals will stay dry and usable for weeks. It also drastically reduces waste from playful behavior, as goats can’t paw or sling minerals out of the small opening. It’s a true set-it-and-forget-it system.

The main limitation is that it only works well with dry, loose, granular minerals. Anything that is prone to clumping from humidity can "bridge" inside the pipe, blocking the flow. You have to check it periodically by tapping the side or taking the cap off to ensure minerals are still feeding down properly.

Sioux Steel Feeder: Heavy-Duty Ground Model

When you need a bomb-proof solution for a larger herd or a high-traffic area, a heavy-duty ground feeder is the answer. The Sioux Steel feeder is a prime example—it’s built from galvanized steel, weighs a ton, and is designed to sit on the ground. Its weight alone means goats aren’t tipping it over or pushing it around.

These feeders typically feature a rubber flap or hood that the goats must lift with their noses to access the minerals. This provides excellent protection from driving rain, snow, and birds. Because it’s a ground unit, it’s a great choice for rotational grazing systems where you can’t mount a feeder to a permanent fence post. It’s a piece of serious farm equipment, not a lightweight accessory.

The tradeoffs are cost, weight, and cleaning. These are more expensive than simple wall-mounted feeders, and moving them is a real chore. Cleaning can also be more cumbersome than just rinsing out a small poly feeder. This is overkill for two or three pet goats, but for a small, working herd out on pasture, its durability is unmatched.

Behlen Country Poly Feeder: Lightweight Option

The Behlen Country feeder offers many of the benefits of a heavy-duty ground feeder but in a more manageable package. Made from tough polyethylene, it’s a lightweight, rust-proof alternative to steel. It often features a similar flap-style cover to protect the minerals from the elements.

Its key advantage is portability. You can easily move it from one paddock to another, making it perfect for rotational grazing or temporary enclosures. It’s also much easier to tip over and clean out than a heavy steel model. This feeder hits a sweet spot for those who need more capacity and weather resistance than a small wall feeder but don’t want the weight and expense of a steel unit.

While the poly material is very durable, it’s not as indestructible as 12-gauge steel. An extremely aggressive buck or a herd of bored yearlings could potentially do some damage, and it may need to be staked down or secured to prevent being pushed around. It represents a smart compromise between heavy-duty performance and user-friendly convenience.

Tarter Combination Feeder for All-in-One Use

For those looking to maximize efficiency and space in a small barn, a combination feeder is an intriguing option. Tarter and other brands make units that combine a hay rack, a grain trough, and a covered mineral feeder into a single piece of equipment. This creates a one-stop-shop feeding station for your goats.

The main benefit is consolidation. It saves wall space and can encourage mineral consumption, as the goats are already there to eat hay. By keeping everything together, it simplifies your daily chores. You fill the hay, check the minerals, and add grain all in the same spot.

The potential downside is cross-contamination. If the design isn’t well-thought-out, hay dust and chaff can easily fall into the mineral compartment, making it less palatable. You’re also locked into that specific layout, which might not work if you ever decide to change your feeding strategy, like separating hay and grain feeding times. It’s a great solution for the right setup, but less flexible than separate components.

Choosing the Right Mineral Feeder for Your Herd

The best mineral feeder isn’t about a brand name; it’s about what solves your specific problems. Your decision should be guided by your herd size, your environment (barn vs. pasture), and your mineral program (pre-mixed vs. cafeteria-style). A feeder that’s perfect for two goats in a dry stall will fail miserably for twenty goats on a wet, rotating pasture.

Start by assessing your biggest source of waste.

• Is it weather? A PVC tube-style feeder or a ground feeder with a flap offers the best protection.
• Is it playful goats? A securely wall-mounted feeder like the Little Giant or a heavy ground model will solve tipping and pawing.
• Are you trying a custom program? A multi-compartment feeder like the Brower is your only real option.
• Do you need portability? A lightweight poly ground feeder is the clear winner for moving between paddocks.

Ultimately, the goal is to ensure your goats have 24/7 access to clean, dry, and palatable minerals. The best feeder is the one that achieves this with the least amount of waste and labor on your part. Don’t overbuy, but don’t cheap out. The money you save on wasted minerals will often pay for a good feeder in a single season.

Investing in a proper mineral feeder is a small change that pays big dividends in herd health and feed cost savings. It closes a major loop of waste on the hobby farm, turning an expensive supplement from ground-stain back into the vital nutrient it’s meant to be.