The goat farmer’s manual: How do I water and feed my goats?

Body condition scoring is a quick and simple method used to determine whether your goats are receiving enough feed or consuming too much.

By Maile Matsimela, digital editor at African Farming

Goats obtain most of the nutrients they need through grazing and browsing. Ideally, goats should spend about six to eight hours per day grazing.

However, during the dry season, the quality and quantity of available vegetation often decline. At these times, goats may need additional feed, particularly animals in late pregnancy or early lactation, as they have higher nutritional demands.

Also read: The goat farmer’s manual: How do I handle and restrain my goats?

Ensure clean water is always available

Goats should have access to clean drinking water at all times. Water is especially important for does that are suckling kids. If water is not freely available, offer it at least four times daily to ensure animals remain hydrated.

Supplementary feeding during difficult periods

Animals need both energy and protein to remain healthy and productive. Conserved forage can be used to supplement grazing during periods when natural feed becomes scarce. Legume-based forages are often ideal because they provide both protein and energy. For a balanced diet, supplementary feeding should ideally include at least four different types of forage.

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Using concentrate feeds

Concentrate feeds can also be used to supplement grazing. An adult, non-pregnant goat can receive approximately 400g of concentrate feed per day. Mixing two or three different concentrates feed is recommended to provide a balance of nutrients.

Feeds high in energy include:

Maize
Barley
Brewers’ grains
Cottonseed oil cake meal

Feeds rich in protein include:

Brewers’ grains
Fishmeal
Soybean meal
Cottonseed oil cake meal

Also read: She quit her job and now owns 133 cattle and 147 goats: Meet Tlhalefo Dithebe

worker feeding goats — Photo: Roelof Bezuidenhout

Vitamins and minerals matter

A spoonful of salt together with a mineral and vitamin supplement can be added to feed to help meet nutritional requirements.

Urea-molasses blocks can help

A urea-molasses lick block provides goats with nitrogen and energy, helping them digest forage more effectively, especially during the dry season. The block should be placed in a container above the floor inside the goat house so that all goats can access it easily.

The information in this article is sourced from the Goatkeepers’ Animal Health Care Manual published by ARC Veterinary Onderstepoort Research with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs. For more information, contact your animal health technician, veterinarian or another appropriate animal health professional.