Goats

Question 1

Biological characters of goats

Answer 1

• Larger volume rumen by 10%
  > higher cellullytic bacteria
• Selective: get the best part of bad pasture
• Highest urea content of all ruminants
• Economical: 1L milk per 1.5L of water consumed
• Increased retention time due to increased GI length

Question 2

Standard goat:

Answer 2

BW: 60kg
1000g/lactation
    > Daily: 4kg/day
    > Milk fat: 3.5%
DMi: 1.5-5%
Grass consumption: 3.65kg DM
Energy: 10Mj/day
Protein: 53g/day

Question 3

Traditional goat diet

Answer 3

1. Hay: Meadow, sugar beet slices, oats or barley, soyabean
2. TMR silage: Silomaize silage, alfalfa hay, sugar beet slices, soyabean
3. Green grass diet: Grass, maize grains, field pea and sweet lupin

Question 4

Feeding of Kids

Answer 4

Colostrum days 0-3/4
Milk replacer at day 4
> Drink 2X day
Introduce conc and hay at day 10

Question 5

Kids

weaning

Answer 5

Age 90 days BW 12Kg

Not before 5 weeks!!

Question 6

Feeding after weaning

Answer 6

DMi:
> 1-10weeks 0.7kg
> under 3 months: 1Kg
> 5-7 months: 1.5kg

Starter: 0-2weeks post weaning
Grower: 2week-4months post weaning

Question 7

Growing kids nutrition

Period 1

Answer 7

Period 1
Age 1-3months
BWG 150-180g/day
> 0.2kg concentrates
> 0.6kg meadow hay
> 0.3kg green forage

Question 8

Growing kid nutrition

Period 2

Answer 8

Age 3-7months
> 0.5kg concentrate
> 0.7 Kg meadow hay
> 0.6kg green forage

Question 9

Bucks vs female

Answer 9

Bucks slaughter at 1-2 months
> fed on milk or milk replacer

Females: kept for milk production: 55% of BW should be reached by autumn (35kg)

Question 10

Dairy goats

Answer 10

Production and production: 1 year
Drying off: 3.5months
pregnancy: 5 months
Lactation: 8.5 months
   > Lactation occurs for 1.5 months after mating
Mating: seasonal autumn
Kidding: feb/march
Liter weight: 10-12% of mothers BW

Question 11

Nutrition of lactating goat

Answer 11

1st 3 months: low requirement
Drying off: straw + water
2months prior to kidding: steaming up
    > DMi: incr. 20-25% energy
2 weeks prior to lambing: decrease DMi
    > prevent pregnancy toxaemia
Prior to kidding: 50% wheat bran: prevent constipation

Question 12

Daily nutrition of goat

Answer 12

DM:
> Non-pregnant or pregnant: 1.7-1.9kg/day
> Lactating goat: 2.9-3.9kg/day
> grazing activity: +25-70%

Milk production: 50kg milk
   > NEl: 23MJ
MF: 364g
Ca: P = 2:1
     > Premixes: 20% Ca and 7% P

Question 13

Feeding of bucks

Answer 13

Not breeding season:  Maintenance diet
Winter: 7-10kg silage or haylage
3-4 weeks prior to mating season: 
    > incr. concentrates to 0.8-1kg/day
    > Mainly oats
Carrots + raw eggs beeficial
Water + salt lick ad lib