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Creep Feeding

Goat raisers ordinarily don't creep feed their kid crops, as their does are capable of weaning kids acceptable to the market, won't be cost beneficial and the logistics would be unworkable. Goat marketing strategies alter one or more of these premises. Boer bucks on Spanish does of limited milk production capability encourage creep feeding to support rapid pre-weaning gaining ability of Boer kids. To creep feed your kids, many commercial feed mixtures are available such as lamb grower, beef calf creep and dairy calf starter.

The percent of protein should be 12-14 and the percent fibre should not be more than 18. Simple grain mixtures of corn, oat or barley would probably be sufficient. The characteristic of a creep feed is that it be palatable enough to promote adequate intake, coarse grinding or pelleting improve intake over meal forms.

Goats consume a wide variety of forage and browse. As both ruminants and herbivores with fast metabolism, goats should eat continually. They are not tin eaters, their digestive systems are sensitive and fine tuned. Roughage is important in the goat's diet. Dry matter roughage is essential for proper rumen function. They digest their food with bacteria. Bacteria and grass hay is an essential block for establishing a healthy rumen. Day-by-day the rumen grows larger and the goat eats more long fibre. Goats were not to be penned and intensively fed grain products. Herbivores are not able to digest much high protein feed. Continuous feeding of grain products will cause health problem and damage the bones and entire skeletal system of the goat.