Hydroponic Fodder for Goats

>     Green fodder plays major role in feed of milch animals, thereby providing required nutrients for milk production and health of the dairy animals.
>     Commercial goat farmers should have enough land to grow green fodder crops such as hybrid grasses and legume crops.
>     When we grow green fodder crops in open fields, it requires labour and other costs to produce the forage in our field.
>     For healthy goat rearing, the fodder should have good nutrients as well. In many places, due to climatic conditions or non-availability of land succulent grass is not available for goats throughout the year in many regions in India.
>     This condition forces to think of different system to produce green fodder for goats throughout the year irrespective of climatic conditions and land availability.
>     This will (hydroponic fodder system) drastically reduce the land cost, feed cost and provides nutrient fodder throughout the year. Today, we are going to talk about hydroponic fodder production system which is different from the conventional fodder production system.





 What is Hydroponic Fodder?

>     It is a system in which green fodder or plants are grown in nutrients rich solutions instead of soil. In this system of growing, plants require sunlight, nutrients, and water.
>     This is very much possible providing all required inputs to grow green fodder in hydroponic system without soil under controlled environment (like small green house). One can easily build the hydroponic system on their own or can buy a hydroponic machine to grow green fodder for goats.
>     In hydroponic system, corn / maize, oats, barley, wheat grass, rice / paddy saplings, sorghum can be grown successfully for goats.
>     Goats can use the fodder grown in this system will have grans, roots, stems, and leaves where as in conventionally grown fodder, only stems and roots are used.





 Needs for Hydroponic Fodder --for Goats:-



>     Most of the small scale goat farmers many not have enough land to grow green fodder and even they may not get the fodder throughout the year in conventional system of growing. Even some farmers may not bear irrigation cost required for green fodder production for goat farming.
>     In this situation, goat farmers can utilize highly efficient and nutrient system of growing green fodder for goats hydroponically. By providing nutrient feed in goats on regular basis using hydroponic system will result high yield of milk in dairy goats and quick and healthy meat production in meat goats.




 Advantages of Hydroponic Fodder for Goats :-

  If you are planning for commercial goat farming, you must consider this system due to the following advantages and benefits.
  If you are planning for commercial goat farming, you must consider this system due to the following advantages and benefits.
>      Saving water in goat fodder production:  It requires just 2 to 3 liters water to produce 1kg of green forage/fodder when compared to 60-75 liters to conventional system of fodder production. Water wastage can be prevented in hydroponics by recycling to grow the fodder.
>      Land in goat fodder production:  Hydroponics greenhouse requires marginal land to erect the system of 10 meters’ x 5 meters land for 650 kg green fodder / day/ unit, in comparison to 1 hectare land for conventional fodder growing.
>      Less labour in goat fodder production:  Hydroponic system requires less labour work say 2 to 3 hours/day whereas conventional fodder production requires whole day to harvest the fodder.
>      Less growing time for goat fodder:  In hydroponic system, it requires just 1 week (7 days) to get nutritious fodder from seed germination to fully grown plant of 30 cm height. Biomass conversion ratio is as high as 8 to 9 times to traditional fodder grown for 60-75 days.
>      Growing fodder throughout the year:  Irrespective of climatic conditions and other restrictions, fodder for goats can be grown all around the year to meet the demand and supply.
>      High nutrients:  Hydroponic system facilitates the growth of highly nutritious fodder as compared to conventional fodder production. This very much required for dairy goats and quick meat production of commercial goat farming.
>      Natural feed for goats:  Hydroponics is a natural system of growing fodder for goats. There is no use of pesticides in this system hence it is free from contamination of milk and milk related products.
>      Losing less fodder:  Every part of fodder (grans, roots, stems and leaves) is consumed by goats without losing any feed produced from hydroponics.