Nutrition for Small-Scale Goat Farms

NUTRITION
for small-scale goat farms
SUSAN SCHOENIAN (Shāy-nē-ŭn)
Sheep & Goat Specialist
University of Maryland Extension
sschoen@umd.edu – www.sheepandgoat.com

The importance of nutrition
• Nutrition is usually the largest cost associated with
raising goats and other livestock.
(50-75% of variable costs)
• Nutrition has a large effect on productivity
(performance levels).
• Goats require proper nutrition in order to express
their genetic potential for growth, reproduction,
and carcass merit.
• Nutrition has a large effect on the health and well-
being of animals; animals on a better plane of
nutrition are better able to withstand disease (e.g.
worms) and other stresses (e.g. weather).
 Better nutrition

Goats require nutrients not specific feedstuffs.
1. Energy
2. Protein
3. Vitamins
4. Minerals
Also important
• Water
• Roughage
(effective fiber)

 Energy is usually the most limiting nutrient.
• Nutrient required in greatest quantity
Pounds or kilograms per head per day
• Comes primary from carbohydrates
• Forage (fiber, cellulose)
• Grain (sugars, starches)
• Can also come from fat (lipids)
• Excess energy is stored as fat in the body.
Goats deposit fat around their organs
(internally) before depositing fat externally
(e.g. back, rib, and loin) like other livestock.
• For goats, TDN (total digestible nutrients)
is the most common unit of measurement
for energy.

What are sources of energy (TDN) for goats
High
• Cereal grains
Wheat
Sorghum (milo)
Corn
Barley
Rye
Oats
• Fats and oils
• Molasses
• Some by-products
• Lick tubs (energy)
Moderate
• Good quality forage
Fresh pasture
Range
Browse
Hay
Silage
Haylage
Balage
Green chop
Hydroponic fodder
Low
• Poor quality forages
Old
Stemmy
Mature
Poorly stored, ensiled
• Straw
• Corn stalks

 Protein is required in smaller amounts than energy.
• More expensive than energy.
• We tend to overfeed/overeat.
• Excess protein is not stored in the body;
energy ($$$) must be expended to remove
excess protein from the body, via ammonia.
• By-pass (escape) protein is protein that is
not digested in rumen.
Animal-derived proteins have more by-pass
protein than plant derived proteins.
• For goats, CP (crude protein) is the most
common unit of measurement for protein.

Sources of protein for goats
High
• Oil seed meals
Soybean
Canola
Sunflower
Peanut
Cottonseed
• Urea (NPN)
Non-protein nitrogen
• Lick tub (protein)
Moderate
• Fresh pasture
• Browse
• Legume hays
• Alfalfa pellets
• Distiller’s grains
• Corn gluten feed
• Whole cottonseed
Low
• Cereal grains
• Grass hays
• Low quality forages
Mature
Old
Stemmy

Micronutrients are required in smaller quantities, usually grams
(g), PPM (part per million), or IU (international units).
 Minerals
• Macro – required in larger amounts
1. Calcium (Ca) and Phosphorus (P)
2. Salt: sodium (Na) + chloride (Cl)
3. Other: Potassium (K), Magnesium
(Mg), and Sulfur (S)
• Micro – required in small amounts
Cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), fluoride (Fl),
iron (Fe), iodine (I), manganese (Mn),
molybdenum (Mo), selenium (Se), and
zinc (Zn).

More about minerals
• Calcium and Phosphorus
Rations are usually balanced for calcium and phosphorus; ratio of C to P
should be at least 2:1. Good sources of calcium include limestone,
dicalcium phosphate, legumes, and kelp. Grains, oilseeds, and most by-
products are not good sources of Ca.
• Salt
Goats should always have access to salt. Salt serves as a carrier for other
minerals and can be used to control consumption of supplements.
• Copper
While sheep are sensitive to copper, goats require copper levels similar
to cattle (however, toxic levels are not known). Copper has many
antagonists (e.g. molybdenum): be careful when adding to diet.
• Selenium
Nevada soils may be deficient in selenium. A deficiency of selenium
and/or vitamin E can cause white muscle disease (and other problems).

Micronutrients: Vitamins 
Two kinds
1. Fat-soluble
A – D – E – K
A: green feed (carotene→Vitamin A)
D: sunshine
E: green feed
K: not supplemented
2. Water soluble – no dietary requirement
Bs – C
B vitamins: synthesized in rumen
B1 (thiamine) deficiency: polioencephalomalacia
B12 (cobalt deficiency)
C: synthesized in tissues
Usually
supplemented

Water: the most important nutrient
• Clean, fresh, always available
• Requirements vary and are affected by
many factors including, size, productivity,
diet, and environmental conditions.
• 0.75 to 1.5 gallons per day for a mature goat
• Consumption increases substantially during late
gestation and lactation.
• Consumption increases substantially when
temperatures rise above 70°F.
• Nutrient requirements increase if animal has to
consume cold water during cold weather.
• Rain, dew, and snowfall may decrease free water intake.
Would you
drink it?

Roughage (effective fiber)
• Goats as ruminants require adequate dietary
fiber for normal rumen function.
• Effective fiber is the fraction of fiber that
stimulates chewing and contributes to the
floating mat of large particles in the rumen.
• The primary physical characteristic related to
effective fiber is particle size.
• “Scratch factor” – risk management
• Disease prevention: acidosis, enterotoxemia,
founder, and urinary calculi.
• Prevent milk fat depression in dairy goats
• Produce leaner carcasses in growing goats

A few more important things about nutrition
PERCENTAGES
• While goats are expected to consume a
certain percentage of their body weight
in feed, they require amounts, e.g.
pounds or grams, not percentages of
nutrients.
• Percentages are useful for determining
the quality of a feedstuff.
• Percentage “requirements” are based on
assumed amounts of consumption.
• Percentages are used to balance rations.

A few more important things about nutrition
DRY MATTER (DM)
• Nutrient requirements are based on dry
matter.
• All feeds contain water. The amount of feed
that is left after the water is removed is dry
matter.
• Feedstuffs vary in their dry matter content.
• Most conventional feedstuffs (hay and grain)
contain about 90% dry matter.
• Goats have to consume more of feedstuffs that
are high in moisture (e.g. pasture, silage,
hydroponic fodder) to get the same amount of
nutrients as they get from dry feeds.

Nutrient requirements of goats vary by
• Type of goat
• Genetics (breed)
• Size (weight)
• Age
• Sex
• Stage and level of production
• Environmental conditions
• Body condition and disease
status

Nutrient requirements vary by type of goat
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
2.00
Meat Dairy Angora
Energy (TDN) requirements,
lb/day, 132 lb. doe, maintenance
Angora goats have the highest nutritional requirements.
Source: Nutrient Requirements of Small Ruminants, National Resource Council (2007).

Nutrient requirements vary by type of goat
1.20
1.30
1.40
1.50
1.60
1.70
Angora Boer Local Dairy
Energy (TDN) requirements,
lb/day, 66 lb. buck
Dairy goat kids have the highest nutrient requirements for growth.
Source: Nutrient Requirements of Small
Ruminants, National Resource Council (2007).

Nutrient requirements vary by size (weight).
0.80
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
88-lb 132-lb 154-lb
Energy requirements, lb. TDN/day
Mature non-dairy doe, maintenance
Bigger goats need more feed, but their maintenance
requirements (% of body weight) are lower.
Lower
% of
body
weight

Nutrient requirements vary by stage of production.
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
2.00
2.20
2.40
Maintenance Breeding Early
gestation
Late
gestation
Lactation
Energy requirements, lb. TDN/day,
132-lb. mature non-dairy doe (twins)
For non-dairy does, energy requirements
are the highest during late gestation (?).
?

Nutrient requirements vary by stage of production
0.10
0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30
0.35
0.40
0.45
0.50
gestation
Late gestation Lactation
Protein requirements, lb/day
132-lb. non-dairy doe (twins)
For non-dairy does, protein requirements
are highest during late gestation and lactation.
?

Nutrient requirements vary by stage of production
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
10.0
gestation
Late
gestation
Early
lactation
Mineral requirements, g/d
132-lb non-dairy doe (twins)
Ca P
Ca and P requirements do not increase during
gestation and are highest during lactation.Source: Nutrient Requirements of Small Ruminants, National Resource Council (2007).

Nutrient requirements vary by stage of production.
Requirements are highest during early lactation
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
Early lactation Mid lactation Late lactation
Parlor-milked Dairy doe nursing twins
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
Early lactation Mid lactation Late lactation
Parlor-milked doe Dairy doe nursing twins
Energy (TDN)
154-lb doe
Protein (CP)
154-lb. doe

Nutrient requirements vary by level of production
1.80
1.90
2.00
2.10
2.20
2.30
2.40
Single Twins Triplets
Energy requirements, lb. TDN/day
132-lb. non-dairy doe, late gestation
Does carrying and raising multiples have higher
nutritional requirements that those raising singles.
+13%
+20%

Nutrient requirements vary by level of production.
Nutrient requirements of 154-lb. parlor-milked doe.
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
Low Moderate High
Energy (TDN), lbs. per day
1.00
1.10
1.20
1.30
1.40
1.50
Low Moderate High
Protein (CP), lbs. per day

Growth: nutrient requirements vary by desired
level of performance
0.50
0.70
0.90
1.10
1.30
1.50
1.70
No gain 0.11 0.22 0.33 0.44 0.55
Energy requirements, lbs. TDN/day,
of a 44-lb. intact Boer buckling
+12%
+45%
+70%
+45%
+97%
+115%

How to balance rations for goats
1. Describe the animals you are feeding.
2. Look up their nutrient requirements.
3. Determine what feedstuffs you have
available.
4. List the composition of your feeds.
5. Match animal requirements to
available feedstuffs.
1. By hand
2. Computer software
3. Online program
How
much feed
do I want?
How
much feed
do you
need?

 Describe the animals you are feeding.
Type, class, size, production status and level
• 140 lb. Boer wether (pet)
• 80-lb. Angora doe in late pregnancy
(single fetus)
• 120-lb. Nubian doe in late pregnancy
(triplets)
• 150-lb. high-producing Saanen doe,
early lactation.
• 40-lb. Nigerian Dwarf doe, mid-
lactation.
• 40-lb. early weaned Boer bucklings,
maximum growth
• 60-lb. dairy does, moderate growth

 Look up their nutrient requirements
Energy (TDN) + Protein (CP) + Calcium (Ca) + Phosphorus (P)
Where to find
Nutrient Requirements of
Small Ruminants, National
Resource Council (2007).
Nutrient requirements are
built into ration balancing
software and spreadsheets.
http://www.sheepandgoat.com/spreadsheets

 Determine what feedstuffs you have available
 List their composition
Where to find
Feed composition tables
Feed labels
Forage test results
http://www.sheepandgoat.com/spreadsheets

Match animal requirements to available feedstuffs
Langston University Ration Balancer and Nutrient Requirement Calculator
http://www2.luresext.edu/goats/research/nutr_calc.htm
Ration balancing software for sheep and goats
http://www.sheepandgoat.com/rationsoftware

I don’t want to do all that work.
I just want to know how to feed my goats.
General recommendations
• Feed 3-4% of body weight
• Separate into production groups
Feed different animals differently
• Feed mostly forage diets (full feed).
• No grain for pet goats or wether
(after 1 year).
• Good quality forage will reduce
need for supplemental feed(s).

I don’t want to do all that work.
I just want to know how to feed my goats.
General recommendations
• Supplement what forage diet is deficient in, e.g.
energy for high producing animals (growing kids,
lactating does).
• Risk management: provide free choice (loose)
minerals to grazing animals or animals consuming
low quality forage diets.
• Use body condition scoring (1-5) to monitor or fine-
tune feeding program.
• Don’t listen to your neighbor. If you’re not sure
you’re feeding your goats right, do the work:
balance your rations.
• How to save feed costs: that’s another presentation.

Thank you for your attention. Questions? Comments?
SUSAN SCHOENIAN
Sheep & Goat Specialist
University of Maryland Extension
sschoen@umd.edu
www.sheepandgoat.com
Bucks in Maryland Buck Test eating Sunn Hemp.

Nutrition for Small-Scale Goat Farms

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