DEPARTMENT OF LIVESTOCK
PRODUCTION AND
MANAGEMENT
LPM 312
Feed and feeding
management of goats
IRSHAD 2K6,
COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND
ANIMAL SCIENCES,MANNUTHY
KERALA, INDIA
Feeding habits of goats
Selective feeding
Browsing-mobile lips & very prehensile
tongue. They can graze on very short grass
and browse on foliage
Fastidious eating habits – consume wide
varieties of feeds & vegetation than sheep or
cattle.
Ability & distinguish between various tastes
Consume certain species at definite stage &
reject them at other stage
Rumen is not developed at birth but young
kids start picking at hay or grass at 2-3 weeks
of age and by 3-4 months the rumen fully
functional.
Roughages
Green chop
Hays and other roughages-most economical, good
quality legume hay/mixed legume grass- excellent
source of nutrients
Mixed hay should contain at least 50% legume hay
Hays- Alfalfa, red clover, ladino clover
Tree leaves- Pipal, Neem, Mango, Asoka, mulberry
etc.
Shrubs, herbs & climbers-Jharhari, Karonda,
Gokhurch
Grasses- Anjan, Senji, Hirankhuri
Vegetable wastes- Carrot, Raddish, Turnip, Cabbages,
Cauliflower, Mustard
Cultivated fodders- Lucerne, Berseem, Cowpea,
Mustard, Sorghum, Maize
Pods & berries – Gular, Pakar.
Hays and straws- Oat hay, Paddy hay, Maize
Concentrates
o Energy feeds- Corn, Oats, Barley, Milo & wheat
& byproducts
o Protein feeds- Cotton seed meal, Soya bean
meal & others(Copra meal, Peanut meal,
Sunflower meal, distillers dry grain).
o Urea and NPN substances
Commercial feeds
Complete food- roughage and concentrate
combined
Concentrates
Protein supplement
Feed preparations
Pelleting and cubing
Concentrate requirement
for adult goat
Maintenance- 250 g/ 50 Kg body weight
Production rate – 450g /2.5 L milk/doe
Pregnancy- during last months of gestation-
220g / day/doe
Formulation of concentrate
mixture
A. Wheat bran – 1 part
B. Grain (maize , barley) – 2 parts
C. Oil cake (linseed cake, GNC) – 1 part
D. Mineral mix – 2%
E. Salt – 0.5%
Example for concentrate
mix
INGREDIENTS PERCENT
Gram 15
Maize 37
GNC 25
Wheat bran 20
Mineral mix 2.5
Common salt 0.5
Nutrient
requirements
of goats
Dry matter
For better growth and production
performance, all nutrients should be present in
the ration in correct proportion.
DM consumption is different for meat and
dairy type goats.
It is 3-4 % of body weight for dairy type
5-7 % in meat type goats.
Energy
•Energy is the vital component of goat diet
affecting utilization of other nutrients and
overall productivity.
•If more energy provided, the goat will gain
weight faster.
•1g live wt gain/3g starch equivalent
•1kg milk/ 300 g SE.
Protein
•A minimum of 6 % total protein requirement
in diet.
•additional protein requirement for growth
pregnancy, lactation and mohair production
• This can be achieved by adding
concentrates in the ration.
Minerals
Goat milk is rich in minerals
Na, Cl, Ca, P, S are the main minerals to be
supplemented.
Ca and P require in larger quantities.
It is recommended to feed a mix made of equal
parts of iodised salt and dicalcium phosphate at free
choice.
Formulate mineral mix using sterilized bone meal,
lime stone, iodised salt, copper sulphate, zinc oxide
and ferrous carbonate.
DM
Vitamins and antibiotics
Vitamins A, D & E are to be supplemented
• Green forages and yellow maize are rich in
Vitamin A.
• Vitamin D can be obtained from sunlight
• Vitamin E present in almost all rations.
Antibiotics
Aureomycin and terramycin are included
It will:
increase growth rate of young kids
improves general appearance of kids
decrease the incidents of infectious diseases
Nutrient requirements of
goats
NUTRIENT REQUIREMENT
Dry matter 2.5- 3% of body wt.(meat goats) & up to
8% of body wt(milking goats)
Energy
For maintenance 725.8gSE/100kg live wt/day
For wt. gain 3g SE/g live wt. gain
For milk production 300g SE/kg milk
Protein
For maintenance 45-64g DCP/100kg live wt.
For milk production 70g DCP / L of milk
Water 450-680g/day for a goat
weighing18-20 kg
Total water intake 1:4
Minerals
Calcium 147mg/kg live wt.
Phosphorus 72mg/kg live wt.
Vitamins and antibiotics
Feeding
management of
goats
DM
Feeding of kids and finisher
Fed with colostrum within 30 mins after birth and continue
for 3 days.
Colostrum feeding is very important as
it is rich source of all essential nutrients
provide Abs
good source of vitamins like Vit A,D and minerals like
Cu, Fe, Mn & Mg
got laxative properties and cleans intestine of meconium
•After feeding colostrums for 2-3 days whole milk or milk
replacer can be fed for 4 months
DM
How many times the milk or milk replacer should be fed?
Thrice daily feeding in first week and twice daily thereafter
How much amount to be fed?
450ml up to 8 weeks and thereafter minimizing the quantity
and completely stopped when kids attain 4 months of age.
More accurately saying
• 1/6 th body weight during 1st month
• 1/8th body weight during 2nd month
• 1/10th body weight during 3rd month
Instead of using whole milk we can use milk replacer also.
What is milk replacer?
It is constituted feed with 25% CP
used to replace whole milk.
we can practice mixing of whole milk& milk
replacer
we can use cow milk in place of goat milk.
DM
Kids start chewing their cuds by 3 weeks
provide good legume hay or fresh green
grass and creep feed along with fresh water &
salt.
creep feed with a DCP level of 18-20%,
TDN 75% and 2.5-2.9 ME/kg,fed at rate of
450g/day.
From 4 months to breeding
Fed roughages supplemented with concentrates (15-
16% CP level) at rate of 450g daily).
Dairy goats are not allowed to become too fat, for
this reduce the intake of energy feeds.
Always provide clean, fresh water and minerals
Commercial mineral mix can be used.
DM
Feeding of pregnant goats
Provide high quality leguminous fodder
adlibitum.
concentrate with 15% CP at 400-500g/day.
A free choice lick to mineral mix will take
care of Ca and P requirement of both dam
and foetus.
Allow good grazing
Reduce the amount of conc. mix to half
before some days of kidding
increase amount of bran & succulent type
feed to provide more bulk.
After kidding fed the dam with bran & warm
water
gradually bring the doe to its full feed for
milk production.
DM
Feeding of lactating goats
Nutrient requirement are higher during
lactation.
Ration should contain high quality roughages
like Lucerne,Berseem and other cereal grasses.
It will provide fresh nutrients and bulks
needed for production of VFAs like acetic,
propionic and butyric acid, which are needed for
high milk production.
A concentrate feed with 14-16% CP level
can be fed at the rate of 350g/L of milk
obtained.
It has to be fed 2 times/day.
Add 1% trace mineralized salt and 1% Ca-
P mineral mix to this conc mix.
Molasses added upto 5-7% of conc mix
It helps to increase palatability and decrease
dustiness of feed.
Keep a clean, fresh supply of water at all times.
After 2wks gradually increase conc. level according
to milk yield and individual requirement.
Individual requirement can be assessed easily by
feeding conc. feed at milking time.
DM
Feeding of breeding bucks
During non-breeding season, buck doesn’t require
additional concentrate if it is on good pasture.
During breeding season, conc. mix fed at the rate
of 400-900g/day depending on its body wt.
not allow buck to get too fat, hence reduce intake
of energy feeds.
Provide adlib. roughages, clean fresh water and
minerals.
Feeding guide for goats
AGE & STAGE OF FEED INGREDIENTS DAILY AMT. TO BE
PRODUCTION FED
Birth to 3 days Colustrum Adlibitum
3 days -3 wks Whole milk or milk 450 ml
replacer
Water, salt Adlibitum
3wks-4 months(start
minimizing milk & stop Whole milk 450 ml upto 8 wks
completely at 4month) Creep feed 450 g daily
Lucerne hay Adlibitum
Water, salt Adlibitum
4 months to freshening Concentrate mixture 15-16% CP at 450g
Dry pregnant Conc. Mix 15% CP at 400-500g
Lucerne hay Adlibitum
Water, salt Adlibitum
Milking doe Conc. Mix 350g/L milk obtained
Salt 1%
Ca-P mix 1%
Molasses 5-7% of conc. mix
Buck
Only pasture Non-breeding season
Conc. mix 400g daily at breeding
season
