logoPROFESSIONAL VERSION

Nutrition of Goats

BySigne G. Balch, DVM, DPhil
Reviewed/Revised Oct 2022

If management of a herd could be distilled down to a primary principle, it would be nutrition. Goats that are properly and adequately fed grow better, produce more offspring, and suffer fewer health issues, including internal parasites. Feed is often the largest expenditure for any producer, particularly for herds that are confined during part of the year, so decisions regarding nutrition have important financial repercussions. In resource-limited countries, lack of adequate nutrition is a common management challenge. In resource-rich countries, overfeeding more often contributes to disease and production loss.

Nutrition is influenced heavily by local conditions. Therefore, the specifics of any feeding plan should be tailored to the environment immediate to the herd. In general, all goats should have daily access to water, good-quality forage, and supplemental vitamins and minerals.

Water is a critical nutrient but is often overlooked. 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 (eg, heat and cold), activity level, and physiologic state (eg, 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.

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. 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 (eg, 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.

Minerals are classified in 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.

Goats are not as sensitive to copper toxicity as sheep are, so they may tolerate additional copper supplementation. Although goats are susceptible to copper deficiency, the practice of administering copper boluses—a component of some parasite control programs—should be conducted only with extreme caution.

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