Feeding Dairy Goats
The lead tree is considered an invasive species in South Africa, but is popular with livestock such as goats.
Goats are versatile in ing their food, and where suitable bushes and trees are available, they will prefer to browse. For this reason, in many parts of the world, fodder trees are cultivated, such as Leucaena leucocephala known in South Africa as the lead tree, white popinac, reusewattel or stuipboom (Afrikaans) and ubobo; ulusina (isiZulu). This tree is considered an invasive species in South Africa and is often found along streams.
Dairy goats are different from other breeds of goats and cannot be productive when they have only natural vegetation such as veld grazing to eat. The main objective of feeding dairy goats should be to supply all the nutrients required in the correct amounts and proportions at the least cost. Feeds should also taste good so that the goats will eat enough and should contain essential nutrients - energy, protein, minerals, vitamins and water.
Dairy goats have to produce milk efficiently and they must be fed properly if they are to achieve their potential. Any additional activity, such as walking, growing, pregnancy or milk production means that it will have extra requirements in addition to their normal body maintenance. Nutritional needs of dairy goats are different while they are pregnant than from after they have given birth. For best management, divide the goat herd into production groups.
Feeding Dry Goats
A dry (non-lactating) goat will probably not need much more than good quality roughages unless she is thin or in her last month of pregnancy. Ewes that increase mass at mating are more inclined to produce twins than those who maintain their weight or lose weight.
Nutritional Needs of a Pregnant Goat
In the six weeks before birth, the doe’s udder needs to rest and milk tissue needs to be rejuvenated. About 70% of the baby goat’s development takes place in the 6 weeks prior to kidding.
Feed enough energy in the last month of pregnancy when the unborn kids inside the uterus are making big demands on their mother’s metabolism. If there is not enough energy in the diet at that time, then fat reserves will be mobilized. But if the demand is too great, the liver may not be able to cope, and the goat may die from a condition known as ketosis (“pregnancy toxaemia”). The ideal body condition score fo a pregnant goat should be 2.5 to 3.
When a goat is pregnant with twins, she will be limited to the amount of feed that she can eat.
A high-quality and tasty diet with sufficient good quality roughage is needed during this time.
Nutritional Needs of a Lactating Goat
The diet of goats can be supplemented by a mineral block to supply minerals and nutrients.
For every 3 litres of milk produced, a lactating goat requires about 1.5 kg of good quality hay plus 500 g of hay for maintenance, plus 1 kg of concentrate.
If dairy goats are grazing (browsing) they should consume at least 4 to 6 kg of good quality forage per day - 4 kg green forage is equal to 1 kg hay.
Lactating dairy goats will need a concentrate with an average protein content of 15 - 17% with the total digestible nutrients (TDN) of the concentrate around 65 - 75%.
If does are fed with a complete ration, hay and straw should be available at all times.
Good quality roughages should be fed to lactating goats so that the amount of expensive dairy meal needed will be as little as possible. In general, roughage should contribute 40% to 60% of the daily dry matter intake (DMI) for lactating goats.
For example, a high-yielding goat giving 4 litres of milk a day might eat a total of 3 kg dry matter (DM), of which 1.2 kg DM (40%) might be in the form of lucerne hay, and 1.8 kg DM in the form of a dairy meal. Both the lucerne and the dairy meal will be about 90% DM, so that the actual quantities fed would be: lucerne hay: 1.2 x 100 = 1.3 kg and dairy meal: 1.8 x 100 = 2.0 kg
If the lucerne is fresh (not hay), the dry matter of the lucerne might have been 24%, in which case the amount of lucerne to feed (to get the same DMI of roughage) would be: 1.2 x 100 = 5 kg.
Please note: Information is for educational and informational purposes only and may not be construed as feeding or nutritional advice. For more information on feeding your animals contact your animal health technician, veterinarian or animal feed supplier.
By Marinda Louw
Feeding Goats on Pasture
Green pastures have a high moisture content and often do not provide enough energy and protein for a high-producing goat. Supplementary feeding is therefore necessary.
Pasture (grazing land covered with grass) tends to be high in energy and protein when it is in a vegetative (growing) state. However, while it is growing it has a high moisture content and it is difficult for a high-producing doe or fast-growing kid to eat enough grass to meet its nutrient requirements. In addition, as pasture plants mature, its taste and digestibility decline, so it is important to rotate pastures to keep plants in a vegetative state.
Outside of the growing season, hay will become the main ingredient of your goats’ diets.
Ryegrass tastes well throughout the grazing season until it matures in September to October. Kikuyu easily becomes coarse and unpalatable, especially later in summer. Take care not to feed too much feed concentrate (high energy or high protein feeds such as wheat or soybean meal) - because they tend to be expensive. But also do not expect too much from the pasture and feed too little dairy meal, thereby limiting the goat's production.
Grazing periods for goats must be coordinated to fit in with the fertilizing and irrigation schedules of the pastures. Leave enough time after fertilization (before grazing) to reduce the risk of poisoning from the fertilizer. It may be necessary to mow excess growth of coarse grass during the peak times of the season.
Supplementing Goat Feeding on Pastures
These indigenous goats are fed 300 g of supplementary feed per day when veld grazing does not provide enough nutrients.
Where pasture forms the basis of roughage supply, the main problem will be to decide what would be the dry matter (DM) intake from the pasture. If extra concentrates are given, the goats may change their intake and eat less pasture. If only poor quality pastures are available, feeding can be supplemented with 200 - 350 gm of concentrate per animal/day depending on their age. The "eye of the stockman" is very important as the farmer will have to monitor the response of the goats to changes in the availability and palatability of the grazing.
The goat farmer must estimate expected DM intake from the pasture and feed a supplement of concentrates accordingly. If the farmer suspects that DM intake should be higher than their estimate, they can reduce the concentrate ration. If milk production s as a result of the change of feeding, concentrate feeding needs to be adapted to ensure the in milk production is not permanent. Dairy goats need grain in their diet to support lactation.
Pregnant goats (first four months of pregnancy) should have access to good pastures for about 5 hours/day and can be supplemented with 5 kg of green fodder per day. In the last month of pregnancy, this can be increased to 7 kg per day in addition to giving feed concentrate of 250 - 400 gm/day/animal.
Good pastures should provide all the nutrients for a non-lactating goat needs, but they may need feed concentrates of 150 - 200 gm/day on poor pastures.
Goats should always have free access to a high-quality loose mineral formulated specifically for goats. This should contain enough copper and be soft and not a hard mineral block.
Feeding Kids on Pastures
After a week, goat kids are allowed to go on pastures while still being bottle-fed with goat's milk twice a day.
Up to three months of age, the baby goat will receive a mixture of milk (goat or cow’s milk), green forage and creep feed - a nutrient-rich feed placed in a special area which adult goats can’t access. From 90 days the kids can be set out to graze on pastures for around 8 hours/day. Supplementary feed with a protein content of 15 - 18% can be fed daily; about 125 - 200 gm/animal/day. Provide dry fodder at night time or during the rainy season.
Please note: Information is for educational and informational purposes only and may not be construed as feeding or nutritional advice. For more information on feeding your goats contact your animal health technician, veterinarian or animal feed supplier.
By Marinda Louw
Feeding of Goats
Apart from straw as roughage, the Saanen dairy goats on Fairview farm received supplementary feeding in the form of pellets.
Goats are popular farming animals because they are predominantly browsers and can be used in shrub and bushveld farming areas together with grazers like cattle. Being browsers (eating leaves from shrubs) they are therefore not competing with cattle for food. In addition, the browsing habits of goats help to combat bush encroachment in Savannah and bushveld areas, but may also cause overgrazing.
Most goats kept in villages (such as indigenous goats) are generally not fed any grain but forage for food, therefore, their daily milk yield is usually quite low. To ensure good milk production, they would need extra nutrients and will respond well to good care and supplement feeding.
Feeding of milk goats, meat goats and goats bred for fibre (mohair or cashmere) will require specific rations based on their production stage and condition. An animal nutritionist or feed company can help to formulate a balanced feeding plan for goats.
Feeding Habits of Goats
Goats do not like dirty and old food. Feedings troughs should be cleaned before giving the next feeding.
Goats are sensitive animals with strange feeding habits. They do not eat feed that is dirty or foul-smelling and dislike wet, old or trampled fodder. Goat feed must be clean and fresh and should always be put in a trough. Keep troughs clean by removing any leftovers.
When feeding hay, put it in hay-racks or hang the feed in bundles from of a tree or a peg in the wall.
Goats are ruminants and would rather eat leguminous fodders like lucerne and cowpeas (high in protein), than sorghum, maize, silage or straw.
Buy the best quality feed that you can afford and store it away from the sun and rain. Collect hay in the growing season and store this for times of food shortage in the dry season. Cereal crop residues and grass fodder should be chopped before feeding and grains can be crushed. Mix feed very well to prevent goats picking out just the tasty bits.
To provide feed fresh; only feed for one day's feeding should be mixed. Do not let the feed become old or mouldy. Any changes in the feeding of goats should be made gradually, over at least a week.
Energy and Protein Needs for Goats
During the drier months, goats are given supplementary feeding to increase protein and energy intake.
Carbohydrates and fats both provide energy. Energy is required for growth, fertility, reproduction and resistance to diseases and parasites. Goats also require protein. Protein is the primary building block of every cell in the bodies of all animals and is essential for growth, disease resistance, reproduction and lactation (production of milk).
One of the most important food categories for all goats is energy - expressed as TDN = total digestible nutrients. The total amount of feed a goat will eat each day is measured in terms of ‘Dry Matter Intake' (DMI). The amount of dry matter eaten depends on the size of the goat, its activity and productivity. Maximum DMI will only be achieved if there is enough food and it tastes good.
Adding a sufficient amount of greens in your goat's regular diet is a must, whether you are producing goat meat or goat milk. Dairy goats especially require greens more than the meat goats, so ensure a good supply of greens for your goats. If pasture is not available, plant various types of hybrid grass and small trees on a separate piece of land.
Concentrate feeds that are high in energy are maize, barley, brewers' grains and cottonseed oil cake meal. (Brewers grains are the solid residues left after the production of beer. Though barley is the main grain used for brewing, wheat, maize, rice, sorghum and millet are also used.)
Feeds for goats that are high in protein include fishmeal, soya bean meal, cottonseed oil cake meal as well as brewers' grains.
Please note: Information is for educational and informational purposes only and may not be construed as feeding or nutritional advice. For more information on feeding your goats contact your animal health technician, veterinarian or animal feed supplier.
By Marinda Louw
Feeding Programmes for Dairy Goats
Lactating goats need good quality hay to supply 40 - 60% of their daily feed intake.
Before buying dairy goats to start dairy goat farming, it is important to plan their feeding programme. Dairy goats can be kept under extensive (natural forage, veld) or intensive feeding and housing conditions.
Extensive Feeding Programmes for Goats
Goats are grazers and browsers and are therefore are able to utilize grasses and shrubs. In an extensive system, the quantity and quality of the natural forages determine the milk yield of a goat. The milk yield of goats on natural forage is usually low and erratic often resulting in short lactation periods.
In communal areas, goats are usually outside during the day browsing on natural shrubs, grasses and crop residues. At night they might be put in a kraal where they can receive supplementary feed such hays, straws and some concentrates.
Goats in Intensive Feeding Systems
Feed should be available with enough space for all goats to feed and should be kept from trampling.
For intensive conditions, dairy goats can be kept on cultivated pastures or in a housing system or open camps. Cultivated pastures require irrigation as the natural rainfall in South-Africa is not sufficient to ensure a year-round pasture-based system. When using open camps, goats should be protected against heat and rain.
Feed troughs should provide enough feeding space (0.3 - 0.5 m per goat) to ensure that all goats have free access to feed. To reduce feeding costs farm-produced forages should be used in diets.
Concentrates to Increase Milk Yield
Concentrates are used to supplement the feeding quality of forages and to increase the milk yield of goats. The energy and protein content of the concentrate depends on forage quality and the milk yield levels, lactation stage and the age of goats. Energy and protein requirements are usually higher in early lactation when milk yield is high and lower at the end of the lactation period.
Concentrates supplied by a feed company are generally expensive. The amount to be fed depends on the milk yield of goats. Feeding high levels of concentrates may be uneconomical and may also result in rumen upsets as goats are ruminants and therefore require minimum amounts of forages in the diet.
It is possible to source concentrated feeds (maize, protein sources, minerals) to formulate and mix your own farm rations. It is, however, important that a qualified and knowledgeable nutritionist formulates the mixtures. For small dairy goat farmers, it is often easier to purchase a standard dairy meal from a feeding company instead of mixing one yourself.
The Milk Cycle in Goats
Milk production starts after lambing, and depending on the genetic merit and feeding level of the goat, the lactation period may last from 240 to 300 days. Extensively farmed indigenous goats may have shorter lactation cycles (150 - 180 days) usually because of poor generic merit and inferior feeding.
Good quality forages like lucerne hay (rich in proteins) should be fed to lactating goats supplying at least 40 - 60% of the daily feed intake. The amount of concentrates is determined by the milk yield of goats. A high-yielding dairy goat producing 4 - 5 litres of milk per day requires at least 3 - 4 kg feed. Of this 40 - 60% can be a concentrate mixture i.e. 1.2 to 1.6 kg to 1.6 to 2.4 kg per goat per day. Dairy goats producing less milk can be fed a smaller amount of concentrates.
Feeding of Dry Dairy Goats
Dry or non-lactating dairy goat require only good quality roughage. This can be lucerne or oat hay. When goats are too thin in the last month of pregnancy a small amount, i.e. about 0.5 kg/day of concentrates can be included in the diet. It is, however, better for goats to regain condition during the second half of lactation, rather than trying to achieve this during the dry period.
If there is not enough energy in the diet in the late pregnancy and around lambing, fat reserves will be mobilized. When the demand is high because of multiple fetuses, the liver may not be able to cope, and the goat may develop a condition known as ketosis (“pregnancy toxaemia”) which requires immediate treatment.
Please note: Information is for educational and informational purposes only and may not be construed as feeding or nutritional advice. For more information on feeding your animals contact your animal health technician, veterinarian or animal feed supplier.
