Forage Supplementation: Raising Healthy Goat Herds

Meat goats get their required nutrients from forages. Sometimes forage is insufficient in protein or minerals to support the proper development of your herd. Desirable levels of supplements should be offered in adequate quantities due to the cost benefit exchange involved. Some owners provide extra minerals to their goats. It may be in the form of trace mineralise salt, calcium, phosphorus or mineral mixtures. Phosphorus is essential for reproduction and milk production.

Cattle mineral mixes are safe for goats. During grazing situations where plants are low in protein, supplemental protein will maintain goat performance.

Meat goat owners use protein feed stuffs such as cottonseed meal and soyabean meal. Sometimes they use cull pea seed, whole cottonseed, and cracked mungbeans as per the cost. When existing pastures are low in energy, goat owners need to supplement with whole cottonseed or shelled corn at the rate of 0.5 to 1.0 lb

There are some differences between the energy feeds with corn, milo, wheat and barley. Some producers feel one product is better than others. Some feel that milo should use carefully as it may promote urinary calculi in males. The process of feeding breeding age does protein and energy for 30 days prior to introduction of the buck to gain some weight is known as Flushing. The weight gain usually results in improved fertility, increased conception and twinning. Flushing is not necessary for meat goat production as it depends on quality and quantity of the availability forage. If flushing is necessary 0.5 lb or corn or protein supplement is enough. Grazing is the optimum option for mineral supplementation where as other option increases the cost.