Dairy goat farming is a growing industry, and proper nutrition is essential for maintaining the health and productivity of your herd. This article provides a comprehensive overview of dairy goat diet and nutrition, covering various aspects from basic feeding principles to specific nutritional requirements and potential health issues.
Understanding Goats as Ruminants
Goats are ruminants, which means they have a four-compartment stomach that allows them to digest forages and other plant material efficiently. Their diets naturally consist of forages and brushes, including weeds such as blackberries, pigweeds, honeysuckle, and kudzu. Goats possess narrow and deep mouths, an anatomical feature that enables them to selectively harvest soft and leafy tissues and woody shrubs, stripping leaves and harvesting the highest quality parts of plants.
The Goal of Feeding: Health and Production
The primary goal of feeding dairy goats is to foster good health to achieve maximum production. It's also crucial to keep costs in check, as feed can constitute 60-70% of the total production cost. Paying attention to prices and exploring low-cost alternative grains is vital for maintaining a reasonable budget. Proper feeding is the best defense against diseases, reducing the need for costly treatments. Remember that prevention is better than cure; a sick goat can cost 10-20 times more to treat than the cost of preventative measures.
Determining Feed Requirements
The amount of grain and hay to feed depends on several factors, including the sex of the animal, body weight, and physiological state (pregnant, lactating, or dry). A general guideline is to provide approximately 5 pounds of high-quality feed and hay per adult animal per day. Milking does should receive an additional pound of grain per day for every quart of milk produced.
Hay and grain should be consumed in about 20 minutes. If the animals take longer, they are likely being overfed. It is essential to provide fresh and clean water at all times, as a lack of water can reduce feed intake. Daily water consumption ranges from one quart to one and a half gallons per head per day. Regularly scrub and sanitize watering bowls to prevent contamination from microbes, parasites, and algae.
Read also: Kidney Health and Diet
Balancing Rations: Meeting Nutrient Requirements
All animals, including goats, have specific nutrient requirements that vary based on their weight, stage of pregnancy, and lactation. Balancing rations to meet these requirements is cost-effective. Overfeeding is wasteful, while underfeeding can negatively affect the health of the animals. Nutrient deficiencies can lead to reduced growth, low reproductive performance, and poor animal health.
Pearson Square Method
One method for balancing rations is the Pearson Square method, which is most effective when only two feeds are being used. The animal's nutrient requirement must fall between the nutrient concentrations in both feeds. A ration can be balanced for Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN), crude protein (CP), and fat (EE), among others. To use this method, you need the nutritive values of the feeds, which can be found in forage/feed analysis reports or in reference books, as well as the animal's nutrient requirements from sources like the Nutrient Requirements of Small Ruminants (2006).
Example of Balancing a Ration
Here's an example of balancing a ration for a 66 lbs. mature doe in late pregnancy with twin kids, requiring 79.21% TDN and 14% crude protein, with an average daily dry matter (DM) intake of 2.23 lb.
- Balance for TDN: Draw a square and put 79.21 (the desired TDN) in the center. Use Coastal Bermuda hay (53% TDN) and whole shelled corn (88% TDN). Subtract diagonally the smaller number from the larger number (79.21-53 = 26.21; 88 - 79.21=8.79). Divide the results of the subtractions for coastal Bermuda hay and the whole shelled corn by the total parts to get their preliminary percentages.
- Check Crude Protein: Determine if the crude protein is adequate in the ration. If the concentration in the Coastal Bermuda hay and whole shelled corn is 9.25% and the animal’s requirement is 15 %, then 5.75 % CP (15-9.25) is lacking in the ration. Use the Pearson Square method again to balance for crude protein, adding a protein source like cottonseed meal (46% CP).
- Calculate Dry Matter: Calculate the pounds of dry matter that each feedstuff contributes to the total ration. Multiply pounds of dry matter required on a daily basis (2.23) by the percentage of the cotton seed meal. The dry matter component made up by cotton seed meal is (2.23 X .15645) = .3488 pound.
- Adjust for Dry Matter Content: Feed requirements are expressed on a 100% dry matter basis. Coastal Bermuda hay, whole shelled corn, and cotton seed meal have 89, 88, and 92% DM respectively. Increase each feedstuff in the ration to meet the 100% dry matter requirement.
The Importance of Water
Water is an often-overlooked critical nutrient. A 50-kg goat can be expected to consume 2-4 gallons of water per day under maintenance conditions. Intake fluctuates with changes in the environment (e.g., heat and cold), activity level, and physiological state (e.g., growth, pregnancy, and lactation). Goats can withstand prolonged water deprivation and survive heat stress better than sheep and cattle. However, production is improved when water is not limited. Clean, fresh water must be easily accessible at all times. Water can contain high concentrations of minerals, and this should be evaluated as part of a complete feeding program.
Forage and Browse: The Foundation of the Goat Diet
Because they are ruminants, goats should be fed a diet consisting primarily of good-quality forage or browse. This can be hay (grass or legume), silage, or pasture/range. Forage is the best substrate for the microorganisms that live in the rumen and that provide a majority of the protein required by a goat for energy. Forage should be clean, free of mold, and moderately mature.
Read also: Diet Plan: No Sugar, Carbs, Dairy
Maturity influences the amount of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in the forage. Forage NDF can be an intake-limiting factor. Studies show that most goats ingest approximately 1.2% of their body weight per day in NDF. Therefore, the higher the amount of NDF in forage, the less of it a goat will consume.
On average, goats consume 1.8%-2.0% of their body weight in dry matter a day. For maintenance, goats should consume forage with a crude protein concentration of 7%-9% and a total digestible nutrition (TDN) value of 50%. These values increase during different physiological states and under greater production pressures. Late-gestation does, lactating does, and growing kids need a crude protein concentration and a TDN of up to 16% and 70%, respectively.
Although forages should be the foundation of any goat nutritional plan, additional energy sources may be required to meet nutritional demands during different physiological states. At these times, fermentable fiber supplements (e.g., beet pulp or soy hulls) or starches (cereal grains or pelleted concentrates) should be fed. The amount and frequency depend on the quality of the overall forage and the production state of the goat. For example, a doe in the final weeks of pregnancy or the early stages of lactation, on a good-quality forage, preferably alfalfa, may need 1-2 pounds of cereal grains per day to meet her energy requirements. A pet doe on moderate-quality forage will likely need no cereal grains at all. Sugars and starches should never be fed to replace poor-quality forage. Overfeeding or improper feeding of starches is common in small hobby or pet farms and is a frequent cause of disease.
Mineral Requirements
Minerals are classified into two categories: macrominerals and trace minerals. Macrominerals are derived primarily from forages and water, all of which should be evaluated when a feeding program is being formulated. Such evaluation can be challenging for producers with smaller herds who purchase small amounts of forages frequently from multiple sources. Concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium should all be assessed, and macromineral supplements should be adjusted to try to achieve a 2:1 calcium-to-phosphorus ratio and a 4:1 potassium-to-magnesium ratio.
Trace minerals, including copper, selenium, zinc, molybdenum, and cobalt, are highly influenced by local geography. Trace minerals compete with each other for absorption, so ratios of one to another are often as important as absolute concentrations. Trace minerals are often fed as a commercial supplement. The aim in selecting such supplements is to pick the one best suited for the local needs of the herd. Trace minerals can be mixed into a concentrate; in many small herds, however, they are offered as a free-choice product. Loose minerals and salt are preferred over blocks. Free-choice mineral salts are mixed with sodium chloride to regulate consumption. If additional sources of salt are placed near the minerals, consumption of the mineral mix may be decreased.
Read also: Delicious Keto Meals
Nutritional Considerations for Goat Kids and Lambs
Goat kids/sheep lambs and yearlings have very specific needs when it comes to feeding and nutrition. Once a doe has kidded or ewe has lambed, it is important that the new kid/lamb receive colostrum within the first 8 hours of birth. It is preferred that the kid/lamb receive colostrum within the first hour. After receiving colostrum, the milk feeding schedule becomes an important consideration. In young, growing kids/lambs, scours or diarrhea may be a problem. At the age of 3 to 5 weeks, allow access to creep feed. This will aid in the process of weaning, as well as stimulate rumen function. Growing kids/lambs require higher amounts of protein in their diets than mature does/ewes. One-half pound of grain per day, along with good-quality hay (10 to 12 percent CP), should provide a sufficient growth rate. A poor-quality hay (less than 10 percent CP) will require an increased amount of grain at 1 to 11⁄2 pounds of grain/day to meet the same level of requirement. The ingestion of colostrum is paramount to the survival of newborn kids/lambs. The specific quantity of colostrum needed will depend on the amount of antibodies in the colostrum. A general rule is that each kid/lamb should receive at least 10 percent of its body weight in colostrum. For example, a 4 kg (9 lb) kid should ingest at least 400 mL (13.5 oz) of colostrum soon after birth. To help promote the production of high-quality colostrum, ensure that the doe/ewe is on a proper plane of nutrition throughout gestation-particularly during the last month before delivery when she is beginning to make colostrum. The doe/ewe should also be current on vaccinations. The young’s ability to absorb antibodies from colostrum decreases rapidly after birth and essentially ceases by 20 to 24 hours of age. The most certain method to ensure timely intake of a sufficient amount of colostrum is to hand milk the doe/ewe and bottle feed the kids/lambs. If this is not feasible and nursing of the dam is preferred, the kids/lambs should be monitored at parturition to ensure that they rise and nurse quickly. If the kids/lambs fail to nurse or drink sufficiently from the bottle, colostrum can be administered through a stomach tube. Placement of a stomach tube should be performed by, or under the supervision of, a veterinarian. The tube should be flexible and of relatively small diameter to pass easily into the stomach. If the doe/ewe does not have adequate colostrum to support her young, commercial colostrum replacers are available at most farm supply stores. Colostrum replacers are generally sold in powdered form and will need to be reconstituted according to the label directions before administration to the kids/lambs.
Common Health Issues Related to Nutrition
Several health issues in dairy goats can be directly linked to their diet. Understanding these issues and how to prevent them is crucial for maintaining a healthy herd.
Bloat
Gas is a natural by-product of digestive fermentation in the rumen, expelled continuously as the goat belches. Bloat occurs when gas is trapped in the rumen, becoming a life-threatening condition.
- Frothy bloat: Usually caused by grazing lush pasture or legume pastures. Foam forms in the rumen with tiny bubbles that are impossible for a goat to belch up. The rumen expands with foam, and the goat can die quickly from respiratory or circulatory failure due to excessive pressure on the diaphragm.
- Dry bloat: Usually caused by indigestion from eating too much grain. In this type of bloat, gas forms in pockets and is trapped in the upper portions of the rumen.
To prevent bloat, feed high-quality hay before allowing goats to eat new, green moist grass. Grain rations should not be fed alone.
Lactic Acidosis
Fiber (e.g., hay or silage) is important in the diet because it stimulates the goat to chew, thereby producing alkaline saliva, which serves to control the level of acidity in the rumen. The rumen microflora can only handle gradual changes in forage:grain ratio. If the proportion, absolute amount, or type of grain changes too quickly, lactic acidosis will develop. The type of rumen bacteria changes to lactic acid producers, lowering the pH of the rumen. The acid gets absorbed into the body, creating general acidosis.
Laminitis
Laminitis is the term used to describe the initial outbreak of the disease when the laminae become inflamed and break down, releasing its hold on the bones in the hoof. Overfeeding a high-energy diet or feeding a concentrated grain diet with low-to-no-roughage sets the stage for this illness. The signs are lameness, reluctance to move, fever, and all four feet are hot to the touch. It can also be partially caused by complications of other diseases.
Urinary Calculi
The urethra is a tube that empties urine from the bladder. The male's urethra is much longer and narrower than that of the doe. Stones are mainly formed in the bladder and become a problem when they are lodged in the urethra. Symptoms of this condition include straining or frequent non-productive urination, abdominal discomfort, stretching, kicking, looking at their sides, and rapid tail switching. To avoid this problem, feed a ration of high quality, free choice, mixed legume/grass hay with salt and trace minerals with a calcium to phosphorus ratio of 2:1. Add grain as required. Freedom to browse is an added plus. Fresh water should be available at all times to encourage urine flow. If possible, defer castration until 3 to 5 months of age.
Milk Fever
Milk fever usually occurs around kidding time. The noticeable symptom of this disease is dragging of the hind foot. Certain feeds rich in calcium, most notably peanut (legume) hay, are believed to be the cause. These feeds contain calcium in excess of what the doe needs at kidding time. This excess calcium sets off a "chain reaction," causing calcium to be deposited into her bones when her body needs to be releasing it for use in milk production. The best way to prevent milk fever is to lower calcium intake during the last 30 days of pregnancy, often by eliminating legume hays from the doe's diet.
Overeating Disease (Pulpy Kidney Disease)
Many sheep and goats carry a strain of the bacteria Clostridium perfringens Type D. This microorganism is part of the normal microflora of the intestine. Excessive consumption of grain or young succulent forage causes the bacteria to multiply and produce a toxin that leads to sudden death of the animal. Control of this disease is through vaccination of the breeding female and the kid.
Alternative Feeds and Supplements
Dairy goat producers are always looking for ways to reduce feed costs and improve the health and productivity of their herds. Alternative feeds and supplements can play a significant role in achieving these goals.
Byproducts
Byproduct feedstuffs, such as orange leaves, have been evaluated as ruminant feedstuffs. Studies have shown that diets including orange leaves can influence milk composition and antioxidant status. Other byproducts, like crude glycerin from the biodiesel industry, can also be used in goat diets at certain levels.
Microalgae
Microalgae have been explored as a dietary supplement for dairy goats. Research suggests that microalgae can influence the fatty acid profile of milk by decreasing ruminal biohydrogenation.
Factors Influencing Diet Selection
Several factors influence diet selection in goats, including:
- Grazing vs. Confinement: Goats in grazing systems have different dietary needs and preferences compared to those in confinement.
- Social Hierarchy: Social interactions, such as competition for feeding space, can affect individual goat's feeding behavior and intake.
- Plant Availability: The array of plant species available influences selectivity and diet composition.
Optimizing Dairy Goat Nutrition
Optimizing dairy goat nutrition requires careful consideration of various factors, including the goat's physiological state, the quality of available forages, and the availability of alternative feeds and supplements. By understanding the principles of goat nutrition and implementing sound feeding practices, producers can improve the health, productivity, and profitability of their dairy goat operations.