Interpreting a Feed Tag:

Tags typically carry the brand name,company address and coded batch numbers as well a descriptive name (kid starter,grower or milking ration) and form designation (meal,pellet,coarse ground).Any medications,the tag must identify the drugs and percentage either in grams or additive per ton or in mg.per lb.Medicated tag must carry a warning denoting withdrawal time in days prior to sale of animals for slaughter.Some tags provide directions (how,when or quantity to feed per head per day).Goat owners who feed their animals with commercial concentrates vitamins and/or mineral supplements and individual feed ingredients,or have their own feeds custom processed/mixed.In any case,they need to be able to read and interpret feed tags.
Guaranteed Analysis:
tag typically reads-crude protein not les than X%.A statement such as,this includes not more than X% equivalent protein from non-protein nitregen,must be added if all protein is not from natural ingredients ie. urea
Crude Fat:
minimum fat required in daily rations for goats is not precisely known,ranges of 1-5 seem adequate.Typical feed tag ranges from 1-3%,forages usually contain somewhat lesser amounts of fat.
Crude Fiber:
The higher the number the lower the digestibility,energy of the feed.Some tags show minimum/maximum quantites of calicum and phosphous,macro and micro minerals.Units of vitamins A and D may also be shown.
Individual Listing:
the tag does not identify individual feedstuffs.Instead,it uses categories of feedstuffs eg. grain products (corn,wheat)processed grain by-products (bran,brewers grain).Plant protein products (soybean meal,copra meal,leaf meal),molasses products (cane) molasses.Forage products (leaf meal).Roughage products (rice hulls).This total must be shown as a percentage of the feed.The tag will also list sources of minerals,preseratives used and any vitamin supplements present or used.