Basic Goat Diet

[mikey]

This is a basic list of feeds one can feed their goat(s),Doc Nemo may be able to help us and add more,One problem I have found about the names of some of the plants is they are called by different names in different parts of the country.
MBRLC -claim that this mixture works as a concentrate for them:
ipil-ipil,ricebran,copra (dried coconut meal),   high energy

Forage-high fibre:
ipip ipil,rensonii,flemingia,kakawate,banana leaves,boiling bananas and their skins,napier grass(elephant grass),guinea grass(panicum)centro(centrosema).Katurai leaves can be fed to nursing mothers and their young,to help in milk production.
corn,soybeans,have found goats love molasses,if you are having problems getting your goat(s) to eat certain foods,add some molasses.

Minerals
salt,lime

Vitamins: main ones are A,D,E
vitamin A-leafy green vegetables,fruits,flowers,juices,tubers that are red or yellow in colour.
vitamin D-most of us make vitamin d from being outside in the sun,during the rainy season this is more difficult,oily fish from the ocean,fish oil,lime from crushed oyster shell also contains calicum
vitamin E-generally oilseeds,canola,soybean,corn,safflower,cottonseed,olive oil,also may be copra meal,whole grains,green leafy vegetables.

This is only the basics:hope Doc Nemo and other producers will help and post some more information for us.

Proud Independant Producer Region 7
mikey

[mikey]

Urea is also given to goats,one must be careful with urea,give no more than 10%,urea acts as a bypass protein.

Desmodium Rensonii               20-22% crude proetein
Gliricidia,kakawate,Madre de Cacoa       20% crude protein
ipip-ipil                                18-20% crude protein
Flemingia                             14.4-18% crude protein(may also act as a bypass protein)
Samanea saman (acacia)  can be used to replace bran
Note:we prefer to put the urea in the goats drinking water,personal choice only.
Proud Independant:
mikey

[alaminos_goatfarm]

Goats being ruminants requires forage grass and legumes for the fermentation process in the rumen. In our experience in raising goats at Alaminos Goat Farm,
the key to the success of a goat raising enterprise is Nutrition. To meet the energy requirement we supplement grains in our feeding program. I say that 70 to 80 % of the success will depend upon the proper nutrition given to the goats. For more details visit  http://www.alaminosgoatfarm.com/pages/articles/?pid=57

Hope it helps.

[mikey]

As previously indicated,meat goats must depend solely on forages to meet their nutritional needs if they are to be economically viable.Forages commonly utilized are grasses,browse,weeds forbs and seasonally small grains,silages,hays with rare exception,all these plants contain usable protein,energy,minerals and vitamins in useful measure.It should be emphasized that goats actually prefer to browse on brush rather than on grass,commonly taking about 60% browse and 40% grass in mixed plant populations.Goats are particularly adapt at selecting the most nutritious plants and within plants,the most nutritious parts,they may do reasonably well on grazing areas considered poor to fair by man and cow alike if,of coarse,the amount of herbage is adequate.Like other animals,however,goats respond quite favourably to increase quality/quantity of feedstuffs.Public preceptions to the contary,goats cannot in fact economically turn low quality vegetative matter into meat and milk.Successful managers know this,novices (newbies) may not last long enough to learn it.
By: Frank Pinkerton

[mikey]

Composition of Forages:
composition of forages eaten by goats varies widely.In practial grazing situtations,goats consume an ever changing combination of these feedstuffs with selection availabilitys and relative palatability.Daily dry matter intakes of mature goats range between 3-5% of body weight,occasionally higher.The actual quality of feedstuffs eaten per day will be influenced by physiological needs.palatability,dry matter content,digestility and rate of passage from the rumen.Legumes are higher in protein and calicum than non legumes but their Total Digestable Nutrients (TDN) are fairly comparable.Roughages are relatively higher in calicum than phosphorus while feed grains generally have more phosphorus than calicum.The mineral needs of meat goats are such that a need for phosphorus supplementation is much more likely than a need for extra calicum except perhaps during early laction.Protein and TDN levels of individual roughages are dependant on several variables,among them,age of the plant,soil conditions and variety.However maturity (age) of the forage crop is the single greatest influence of quality
By: Frank Pinkerton

[mikey]

Forage Quality:
Opinions are many and varied in discussing forage quality.Forage color has almost no relationship to animal performance.The only true measure of forage quality is animal performance.Quality is important only because it relates to animal performance.Plants are made up of cells which are composed of cell walls and the contents can be assumed to be walls.The intracellular contents can be assumed to be near 100% digestibility ,does not change as the plants ages or grows.However,the chemical makeup of cell walls does not change as the plant grows with aging,the fiber content  increases as a percent of the total plant.One complication is that there are several types of fiber in plants,and they can vary greatly in digestibility.Use the term increasing fiber to mean decreasing digestility.Lignin,a fiber which is basically indigestible,increases rapidly as the plant matures,particularly if it begins reproductive growth.
By: Frank Pinkerton

[mikey]

The Compromise:
One can have both maximum yield and best quality.However,the fact that yield increases with time (maturity) and forage quality decreases with time does give us a management principle to meet goat nutrient requirements.A meat goat producing 5 lbs. milk  a day,or weaned doeling gaining 0.25 lbs. per day,must consume vegetative forage to meet these production requirements,thus a producer will not be able to produce maximum tonnage of forage.At the other end of the spectrum are your bucks and dry does,these animals can do just fine on older more mature pastures.The nutrient requirements of these classes of livestock are lower and therefore the pasture can be managed for a higher yield.
By: Frank Pinkerton

[mikey]

Common Philippine Feedstuffs for Goat Production:

CONCENTRATES                 DRY MATTER                TOTAL DIGESTABLE
                                            %dm                        NUTRIENTS tdn

copra meal                               89.6                           78.5
corn gluten,feed                        90.1                           74,9
corn grain                                 88.8                           84.2
rice bran-cono                           88.0                           69.1
rice bran KisKis                           89.0                           46.6
wheat pollard                             88.2                           73.1
soybean oil meal                         88.4                           76.0
molasses-cane                           76.3                           53.0
corn bran                                  88.0                           71.1

Green Roughage;
NAPIER GRASS;
21 days                                    16.5                           9.3
42 days                                    18.3                           10.8
84 days                                    19.6                           10.9
105 days                                   25.6                           13.6

PARAGRASS;
28 days                                    22.5                            12.9
56 days                                    24.0                             11.0
84 days                                    39.1                             17.6

WET SEASON:
28 days                                     16.3                            9.4
56 days                                     22.8                            12.9
84 days                                     21.7                            12.2

GUINEA GRASS;
21 DAYS                                    22.5                            12.9
42 days                                     24.0                             11.0
84 days                                     39.1                             17.6

WET SEASON:
84 days                                     16.3                             9.4
56 days                                     22.8                             12.9
133 days                                    21.7                             12.2

CENTROCEMA:
28 days                                     24.4                             14.0
56 days                                     29.5                             16.8
133 days                                   32.6                              18.9
175 days                                   30.6                              17.3

Tree Leaves,Browse Plants
banana                                     94.0
kakawati                                   25.3
ipil ipil                                       13.30
santan                                      27.68
caimito                                      48.32
camachile                                   34,78
gumamela                                   19.10
bamboo                                      42.0
acacia                                        43.40
By: Special Thanks To The Philippine Govt. (support the goat)

[alaminos_goatfarm]

With our vast experience in grain feeding ruminants we are often ask questions by goat raisers, and the most frequent question asked is what do we do when our buck and buckling cannot urinate who are on a concentrate diet? I answer by saying that there are stones in the urethea. I advice them to review their calcium and phosphorus ratio, the ideal ratio is 2:1. Always remember that rice bran is 1.7 phosphorous and copra is .7 phosphorous.Diet heavy with these feedstuff would shift the ratio closer so we advice them to add limestone instead of dicalcium phosphate.
If it is case already we advice to use lasic tablet and if this does not work we advice them to use a catheter.If the problem is not address the buck or buckling will die.

[nemo]

If it is case already we advice to use lasic tablet and if this does not work we advice them to use a catheter.

Lasix (pronounced as lasik/lasic) is not appropiate with kidney stones.  If the stones is small the build up of pressure in the kidneys would help but if it is a little bit big then it would cause more harm to your animal.

This medicine is intended for high blood, water retention problem due to failing kidneys, etc.

Better go for catheter instead.

[cjap10]

hi -
I am thinking of venturing into goat raising, too and I'm seeing my father's raw land in Lipa to shelter and feed the goats. The raw land  has coffee and lanzones trees as well as different types of plants and grasses. Are these trees/plants good for the goats? I'm planning to start on native goats first and if I'm successful, will try high breed sires, too.

[mikey]

Welcome to the club,goats did discover coffee in Africa,Personally we have never feed coffee plants to our goats,goats are really good at finding which plants they wish to eat,ipil ipil and napier grasses are 2 of the most common feeds.Goats require energy and fibre,(roughage) ipil-ipil for protein (energy),rice bran,copra meal and fibre (different grasses).Better to have a variety of feedstuffs for your goats,wise to start with the native first and gain some experience,then one can always upgrade their stocks.Molasses is good for your goats and they need salt.Find out which plants are common to your area,look under basic goat diet and you will have a better idea of the foods you have to feed your stocks with.Natives are a hardy little goats,remember goats need fresh water at all times.Always better to buy goats in your local area,ask the farmer what he/she feeds their goats,buy only healthy goats,educate yourself wisely,does the goat have a shinny coat,clear eyes,nose not runny,rub your hand down the backbone,does it feel sharp and pointed or round??sharp and pointed,poor condition,rounded good condition.Good Farming To You:
mikey Region#7

[cjap10]

hi -
thanks for the info. I guess I'll have to plant ipil ipil and other plants goats love to eat. I just thought sayang naman yung coffee and lanzones trees if I cut them down. 

[mikey]

cjap10,hi,not saying you have to cut the coffee down,goats do a good job of clearing the land for you.Planting different feedstuff for your goats is important,they do like variety in their diets,but they need energy and roughage to keep them healthy.There is some really good information in this forum to help anyone out if they are willing to take the time and read it,better yet if one has a printer and can print out the material,one could make their own book,may I ask,what region do you farm in?Cjap10,remember the right diet is important to your success,welcome to the club,wish you all the success,this forum is here to help anyone out,I am not an expert,but am willing to share any and all information.
Good Farming To You:
mikey Region#7

[calamity]

good day to all, recently join this forum. i'd like to know if i can have a sample of fesibility studies re: goat raising?thanks.