Feeding Habits
 Goats are sensitive animals with peculiar feeding habits. They are 'fastidious about cleanliness and like frequent change in the feed. Feeds given must be clean and fresh, since goats eat nothing that is dirty or foul-smelling. They dislike wet, stale or trampled fodder.


  1. Maintenance ration:

>     The maintenance requirements are related to surface area and basal metabolic rate. Goats have higher basal metabolic rate than cattle; therefore, their maintenance requirements are higher than those of cattle.
>     The requirement by weight is calculated and an additional feed of about 25 to 30 per cent for maintenance is allowed. The maintenance requirement thus calculated is 0•09 per cent digestible crude protein (DCP) and 0•09 per cent total digestible nutrients (TDN).



  2. Production ration:

>     Requirements for the production of 1 litre of milk with 3•0 per cent fat is 43 g of DCP and 200 g of starch equivalent (SE), whereas for the production of 1 litre of milk with 4•5 per cent fat it is 60 g of DCP and 285 g of SE.
>     The nutritional requirements of a goat weighing 50 kg and yielding 2 litres of milk with 4 per cent fat may be met by feeding 400 g of concentrate mixture and 5 kg of Berseem or Lucerne.
>     The ration should have 12 to 15 per cent protein content, depending on the amount of protein in their hay and in the milk produced.



  3. Mineral mixture:

>     Minerals should be given as an essential part of the ration as they contribute to the building of the skeleton, physiological functions and production of milk.
>     The more important of these salts are calcium and phosphorus. The requirements of calcium and phosphorus for maintenance are 6•5 and 3•5 g, respectively, per 50 kg body weight. Goats require slightly larger quantities of calcium than sheep.
>     The mineral mixture may be included in the concentrate ration at the rate of 0•2 per cent.





  4. Common salt:

>     Lumps of rock salt are just the' thing for them. These lumps of salt, of fairly good size, should be hung up in some suitable place where goats can easily get at them, or else they may be kept in the manger.
>     The provision of salt licks is very important for goats as they secrete a good amount of sodium and chloride ions in milk.
>     The salt often helps to tone up the system and may even have some effect in removing worms from the body. Salt to the extent of 2 percent may also be mixed with the daily grain ration of goats.





  5. Vitamins and minerals:

>     Presence of vitamins and minerals in goat feed is a must. Because, vitamins and minerals keeps the goat productive and help them preventing various types of diseases.
>     They need a lot of vitamins and minerals ingredients in their food. Some feed elements like phosphorus, salt and calcium are very useful minerals for goats.
>     You can provide a premix of loose minerals, because goats prefer that very much. For proper growth and production, they also need some vitamins like Vitamin A, D, and E. So, while feeding your goats, be sure that all those elements are available in their regular and daily food.
>     Goats need particularly vitamins A, D and E. The microbes in the rumen synthesize most of the other needed vitamins.
>     Vitamin A can be supplied by feeding green forage and yellow maize. One kg of lush-green fodder will provide. Synthetic vitamins A and D may be included in the ration of growing kids.