Credit: Biovision-Infonet
Goats are inquisitive feeders and will walk long distances in search of food. Herbage is, therefore, an important par of their diet. This is a difficult requirement to meet in the case of zero grazing. Goats are browsers and eat variety of plants/feeds when left to find their own food. This ensures a balanced diet according to their individual needs. Goats are able to distinguish between bitter, sweet and sour tastes and show a higher tolerance for bitter tasting food than, say, cattle. They relish variety and will not thrive when kept to a single type of feed for any length of time, which is often the case when goats are kept in zero grazing situations. They enand plants. They tend to prefer to nibble at the shoots and leave the stems. Palatability appears not to be their main consideration. They look mainly for a variety of feeds.
The mobile upper lip enables the goat to browse a variety of plants to meet its nutrient requirements and up to 80% of their total intake may be taken as browse. When browse is not available they are, however, quite capable of utilizing grasses and other crop residues. A variety of grasses can be grown suitable for goats. They generally prefer the less coarse grasses such as Napier. Wild legumes are also a beneficial part of the diet.
Goats greatly benefit from a wide variety of tree leaves and make good utilization of woodland vegetation. Like all other animals goats need sufficient feed for:
- Maintenance of body weight and condition
- Production of meat/ milk (There will be very minimal production/ growth rate, unless the goats have access to more feed than they need for body maintenance)
Goats get bored when fed on the same feed every day. They are clean feeders and will not eat feeds which are not fresh and nor will they eat dirty feed e.g. Napier with mud splash from rain. Goats do not like sticky, mouldy, wet or dusty feeds.Goats need the same balanced ingredients as other creatures, only proportions vary according to the stage in the life cycle:
1. Proteins are needed for growth, production of meat and milk as well as reproduction. Proteins are found in:
- Legumes such as Lucerne, green beans (this is not advised *see following), cowpeas and other wild legumes (sweet potato vines, acacia leaves etc.
Note: It is not advisable to feed green beans or bean/pea hay. Goats have a natural clostridia content in their digestive system. Beans and legumes can increase this content to such an extent that it will become toxic. Symptoms area sudden, and death nearly always results (see diseases). - Dairy meal, cotton seed cake, sunflower cake, soy bean cake and other oil seed cakes (the ‘cakes’ should be fed sparingly)
2. Energy feeds (carbohydrates
and fats) are needed for maintenance of body condition, fattening, all
body functions, in general for anything to work. Energy feeds are for
example:
- Grains such as sorghum, maize, millet, barley and wheat can be fed in small quantities. Green maize husks should be fed with caution. The carbohydrate and sugar content is very high, therefore very palatable. Especially in a dry period goats will gorge themselves resulting in ‘Carbohydrate Engorgement’. The symptoms are very difficult to reverse, there is no treatment and mortality is very high. If caught very early it can be treated by a period of starvation, but success is limited.
- Grasses: Napier grass, Kikuyu grass, or any green grass
- Hay, dried grasses/weeds are an essential part of a goats diet, etc.
Table: Daily requirements of does with body weight of 50 and 70 kg in different stages of production for energy and protein, calcium and phosphorus and for vitamin A and E and the maximum dry matter intake capacity (DMI) of the does.
| Live-weight | Category | DailyGain (g) | DMI | MEM/cal | CrudeProtein(g) | Calciumg | Phosphorusg | Vit AIU |
| 50 | Maintenance and early gestation | 0 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 100 | 4 | 2.8 | 1950 |
| Late gestation | 1.91 | 4.02 | 182 | 6 | 4.2 | 3050 | ||
| Maintenance and growth | 50 | 1.38 | 2.96 | 114 | 5 | 3.5 | 2250 | |
| Maintenance and growth | 150 | 1.74 | 3.68 | 142 | 6 | 4.2 | 2750 | |
| 1 kg of milk, 4.5% fat | 1.9 | 3.86 | 177 | 7 | 4.9 | 5750 | ||
| 2 kg of milk, 4.5% fat | 1.9 | 5.12 | 254 | 10 | 7 | 9550 | ||
| 3 kg of milk, 4.5% fat | 1.9 | 6.38 | 331 | 13 | 9.1 | 13350 | ||
| 70 | Maintenance and early gestation | 0 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 130 | 5 | 3.9 | 2550 |
| Late gestation | 2.41 | 4.82 | 212 | 7 | 5.3 | 3650 | ||
| Maintenance and growth | 50 | 1.88 | 3.76 | 144 | 6 | 4.6 | 2850 | |
| Maintenance and growth | 150 | 2.24 | 4.48 | 172 | 7 | 5.3 | 3350 | |
| 1 kg of milk, 4.5% fat | 2.4 | 4.66 | 207 | 8 | 6 | 6350 | ||
| 2 kg of milk, 4.5% fat | 2.6 | 5.92 | 284 | 11 | 8.1 | 10150 | ||
| 3 kg of milk, 4.5% fat | 2.7 | 7.18 | 361 | 14 | 10.2 | 13950 |
(c) Andrew G. Marete
3. Fibre is needed to keep the rumen (stomach) in a
healthy working condition. Fibre is found in all plant material. Old dry
stems of plants (DO NOT use dry legume hay. The clostridia content of
this is higher than green legume) are almost pure fibre.
Young green
plants have less fibre and more nutrients. Ruminants such as goats can
digest a large amount of fibre, but do need supplements, especially if
all the available fodder has dried out. If goats get too little fibre
they tend to either suffer from bloat or from indigestion (badly
functioning stomach).
4. Molasses added to the
water is much appreciated by goats. This can be given from a large
bucket when the goats come in for milking. They should be allowed to
drink from this freely. Molasses assists with the fermentation process
that takes place in the rumen. Dairy goats carry very little fat, so it
is important that there is good rumen action at night to keep them warm.
Molasses is also an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.
5. Minerals
Minerals
constitute an important part of the diet. Symptoms of mineral
deficiency which, if ignored, could result in death and will definitely
affect production. Minerals are needed for maintaining fertility,
building body condition, keeping body functions healthy. Minerals are
found in weeds, salt licks, etc.Excess in one or more minerals is also
undesirable.
A number of minerals are essential and are classified
into 2 groups – macro and micro elements. The macro minerals include:
calcium, chlorine, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, sodium &
sulphur. The micro elements which are required in much smaller
quantities are: cobalt, copper, fluorine, iodine, manganese, molybdenum,
selenium and zinc.
There may also be a need for other trace miners
such as barium, bromine, cadmium, chromium, nickel, selenium, silicon,
strontium and tin.
6. Vitamins
Vitamins are
essential food substances and are required in very small quantities.
They are usually classified into 2 groups: fat soluble and water soluble
vitamins.
- The fat soluble vitamins are: Vitamin A (present in plants), Vit D, D2 and D3, Vit. E and K
- The water soluble vitamins are: Vitamin B, B1 (thiamine) B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pantothenic acid, folic acid, biotin), B12 (cobaltamin), Vit C (ascorbic acid).
Most of the above are widely available in feeds and green leafy materials and in cereal grains. Some of the B vitamins are synthesized by the intestine microflora when cobalt is present. A practical way to ensure that vitamins and minerals in the correct amounts are incorporated in the diet is to feed them as supplements. There are many supplements available on the local market.
How much feed?
The amount of feed needed by goats depend on their size and stage of development. As a general rule of thumb, an animal will need 3,5% of its bodyweight daily in the form of dry matter in feed to satisfy its appetite. An animal will produce nothing and eventually die if its appetite is not satisfied. A 40 kg goat will thus need 1.35 kg dry matter per day or almost 500 kg in a year. Most FRESH forage contains about 33 % dry matter as an average. The 40 kg animal will then need 4 kg of fresh forage every day or its equivalent in dry forage and feed, which makes about 1500 kg per year.
The main difference between a goat and a cow or a sheep is that the goat has a much (delete) bigger rumen in comparison to its body size than the other two animals. The rumen of the goat can be as much as 1/3 of the total body volume. This makes the goat a very efficient converter of rough feeds/ browse, but the process uses up a lot of energy and there is also a need for minerals especially phosphorous. One reason goats prefer browse bushes and trees is that these plants are deep rooted and bring up many more essential minerals from deep inside (delete) the soil that the goat needs, than shallow rooted plants do.
Dairy goats are much more discerning browsers than other goats. They will graze, as a herd, on one particular food for a short period of time before moving on to a different plant. They do not, therefore, do nearly so much damage to the environment as other goats and it is rare, even in a drought, to see them strip a tree until they kill it.
In comparison to a cow, a goat
- Produces more milk from the same quantity of nutrients
- Uses less food per kg bodyweight for its body maintenance than a cow
- Uses more food per kg bodyweight for digestion and metabolism than the cow
In table 2 the maximum dry matter intake of different categories of goats are given. Also the average requirements for minerals, trace-elements and vitamins are given for those categories. Heavy goats (over 50 kg) have a somewhat higher daily intake and a higher mineral and trace-element need.
Table: Average daily mineral and trace element requirements for different categories of goat
| Category | kgDM | Ca | P | Mg | Na | K | Cl | S | Cu | Co | Mo | J | Zn | Mn | Fe | Se | Bc1 | VitA | VitD2 | VitE |
| g | g | g | g | g | g | g | mg | mg | mg | mg | mg | mg | mg | mg | mg | IU | IU | IU | ||
| young, pregnant | 1.6 | 3.6 | 3 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 7 | 1 | 2.4 | 18.6 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.5 | 26.7 | 72 | 100 | 0.23 | 7 | 2800 | 1250 | 38 |
| Pregnant | 1.7 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 7.3 | 1 | 2.55 | 20 | 0.2 | 0.17 | 0.5 | 28 | 68 | 92 | 0.17 | 7 | 2800 | 1250 | 38 |
| 2 kg milk | 2.7 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 2.1 | 17 | 7.4 | 5 | 27 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.5 | 60 | 98 | 28 | 0.3 | 30 | 12100 | 2330 | 43 |
| 3 kg milk | 2.7 | 8 | 10 | 3.8 | 2.7 | 21 | 8.6 | 5.4 | 31 | 0.27 | 0.27 | 0.5 | 66 | 108 | 29 | 0.3 | 33 | 13100 | 2630 | 45 |
1) beta-carotene is a precursor of vitamin A and is able to form about 400 units of vitamin A per mg. Plants contain beta- carotene, not vitamin A.
Milk goat feeding
Feeding the dairy
goat after kidding: The doe requires sufficient food to feed her kid and
to maintain her own weight She can be supplemented with at least 200
gm/day of dairy meal. Ration can be reduced to 100gm/dax during the 3rd
month after kidding.
The diary goat gives as much milk as it is given the right food. Some preferred feeds include:
- Sweet potato vines: This is liked very much by the goats. It gives tubers for the family to eat and the vines can be fed to the goats. It can be planted beside riverbeds, steep parts of the shamba and on road side edges. Useful in feeding kids whose mothers died early in their life.
- Napier: Napier can be planted along river beds, soil terraces or road reserves. Where a farmer has a big shamba, Napier is planted near the home to save time for other work while tending to the goats. Good Napier needs generous application of manure and needs weeding. Where new fields are being planted mixed cropping with desmodium improves the quality of the fodder. If you plant napier around your maize, it stops maize stalk borer.
- Fodder trees and legumes: These have lots of protein and only a little is needed at a time. The trees and legumes should be planted along the fences and terraces. Leucaena is good in fences. They do not need a lot of work once they are planted. Desmodium: when available should be inter cropped with Napier. Calliandra does better in high altitudes (tea zone 3) than leuceana. Do not forget many weeds also make good fodder.
Maize:
While maize is grown for farmer’s food, there is a lot of fodder which can be used for feeding the goat without stopping the Farmer from a good maize yield. Thinning – all the extra maize seedlings that grow from the same seed hole should be thinned and dried a little before feeding to the goats. Remove extra leaves – this should start with the leaves below the cob as soon as the cob can be seen. Cutting the tops – this should start after the grains have hardened. Stovers – these should have sweeteners (molasses) added or sprinkle common salt after chopping. Broken grains – these are very nutritious especially after a heavy harvest but should be fed carefully to avoid grain overload. (Carbohydrate Engorgement) Dry feed intake in the tropics is around 4 – 5% of live weight. Where goats have several functions the intake of dry matter is relatively higher than for dairy goats.
Rolled Barley:
Rolled barley should never make up more than 25% of the ration as too much can be poisonous to goats.
Dairy Meal:
For heavy milkers this should make up 3/4 of the ration with bran added. There are many different varieties on the market, some of which are much superior to others. Make sure that the meal has a pleasant smell and texture.
Silage:
Silage is of little use for goats. Most goats will not eat it. Badly made silage can cause listeria (bacteria) which must be avoided at all costs.
Recommended feeding for lactating does
During this period pregnant does are housed in large pens. Towards the end of pregnancy individual does can be confined to pens where the kids are born. Where the floor is made of timber (it should be slatted) or concrete (not recommended) it is advantageous to increase the amount of bedding so that the doe is comfortable.
Table: Recommended feeding for lactating does
| Concentrates 16-18% protein | 0.3-0.8 kg/day |
| Grass with legumes (fresh) | 1.8 – 2.5 kg/day |
| Grass/grass mix (fresh) | 2-3 kg/day |
| Grass/grass mix (dry hay) | 0.7 – 1 kg/day |
| Grass with legume (dry) | 0.6 – 0.8 kg/day |
(c) Andrew G. Marete
The dairy goat has enormous potential for converting roughage as a means of making milk. Her capacity, relative to her size, is far greater than that of a cow. Use should, therefore, be made of this ability to use roughage. A stall fed (zero grazing) milker will astonish the owner for her constant demands for more food. Therefore, good hay is a very important part of her diet. Zero Grazing dairy goats require the same hay and concentrates with added green fodder. The feed requirements of the lactating doe are much greater than it is during pregnancy and the provision of better quality feed during lactation is essential. Feeding during lactation is the primary influence on initial and total milk yield.
Access to water: It is VERY important that the lactating doe has access to plenty of clean drinking water. This is essential for a good milk yield.
Weaning
Weaning can be done at any time up to 6 months. Time of weaning depends on the type of doe. Does reared for meat feed their kids for longer; weaning is delayed and the kids usually run with the doe for 3 months.
Early weaning is more common for dairy does and usually kids are separated after birth. They MUST be allowed to feed on the colostrums for 3 days. It is important that the kids must be allowed sufficient milk to satisfy them in order that good growth is ensured. Maintaining a suitable weaning schedule assumes that there will be control over the breeding animals at all times. In many parts of East Africa, however, especially under extensive management conditions, this is not always possible. More efficient husbandry would improve the system. The kids usually begin to nibble at solid food such as leaves, grasses and dry food at 2 – 3 weeks. This stimulates rumen activity. At this time the kids show increasing activity and they require space for exercise and plenty of access to sunlight.
Water
Water is needed for survival. Lack of water will kill an animal faster than lack of any other food constituent. Goats are efficient water convertors. They have a low rate of water turnover per unit of body weight. Ample quantities of water are essential for high milk production and for maximum growth and mohair production. The water requirements for meat animals, while still essential, are relatively less. The demand for water increases in the dry season when ambient temperatures are highest. Goats pant less than sheep, they do not sweat and lose less water in their feaces and urine. When water intake is low the excretion of urine is reduced. In EA it is thought that tolerance to heat stress is due to the resistance to the absorption of radiant heat by the shiny coat, reduced water loss in urine and faeces and increased ventilation.
Growth Rates
After birth the most rapid gains are during the first 4 – 6 months. High birth weights are, therefore, important. Female Toggenburg kids reach 50% of their mature weight by 4.5 months. By comparison Saanen kids reach 50% of their mature weight by 8 months. It is, therefore, essential that kids management is of a high standard if their full potential is to be reached. Nutrition definitely has a significant effect on the growth performance of growing kids. If light weight kids are managed properly and fed sufficient milk through the first three months, there should be no difference between it and it’s heavier siblings.
A sufficient intake of energy and protein is required for good reproductive performance. This will encourage sexual maturity and conception, and ensures a smooth pregnancy, resulting in kids of high birth weight and strong constitution.
Digestive Efficiency
Goats are efficient digesters of coarse feeds. However, unless concentrate feeds are relatively cheap, and justified by increased milk production, there will be little profit in feeding concentrates. Good quality legume hay such as Alfalfa (lucerne) and pigeon peas are valuable and should be used where possible. When these feeds are not available a concentrate of 16 – 18% crude protein is required, especially when grass is the only ration. Other products such as sweet potato vines, ground nut (peanuts) vines and tree leaves are good fodder.
A list of feeds and the energy, protein and chemical composition is available in Animal nutrition and feed rations.