Fattening of Sheep and Goats Complete Guide
Fattening/Finishing involves intensive feeding of sheep and goats to slaughter weight with adequate finish (fat deposit) in feedlots. This targets the local market that has high demand for fat animals. The operation of large feedlots by export slaughter houses and independent feedlot operators (on-farm feedlots) is becoming feasible.
The principal functions of such feedlot operations are to assemble large numbers of sheep and goats, often coming from different genetic and management backgrounds, and produce a product of acceptable standard.
The following guidelines will serve these operations and also small farmers that want to fatten smaller numbers of sheep and goats. This will be the subject of this particular technical bulletin.
Advantages of fattening
Fattening is a strategic feeding option that can have the following advantages under Ethiopian conditions:
Technically, it is quite simple and within the capabilities of small farmers to implement; moreover, the results are highly visible. This helps farmers to have confidence in the technique. Other techniques such as feeding to boost reproductive performance are less convincing because the farmer may be unsure that the extra feed resulted in any benefit.
Benefits can be realized within a short period of time unlike other animal production activities.
Fattening generates cash income that is eagerly sought by farmers.
Fattening is generally profitable because the value per kilogram of live weight increases as both weight and condition increase.
Fattening systems
Intensive feeding of sheep and goats before slaughter in Ethiopia can be categorized into two systems:
Traditional systems: This system generally depends on grazing natural or planted pastures with variable degrees of supplementation. Animals require a long period of time to attain market weight and condition. It is also associated with huge fluctuations in the weights and conditions of the animals depending on feed availability. This system can be improved to supply animals of acceptable condition to slaughterhouses for ultimate export.
Agro-industrial byproduct based fattening: Fattening of sheep based on agro-industrial byproducts is also practiced around the world. This system can be promoted to similar areas where agro-industrial byproducts are available.
Fattening using agro-industrial byproducts like sugar processing byproducts is feasible in places for instance in parts of Adamawa where valuable feed resources such as molasses (from the Savanna sugar factory) and corn (grain and residue) are widely available.
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Protein sources like oilseed cakes can be purchased from nearby processing plants and/or forage legumes can be grown in the area. Brewery byproducts are also used.
The following table shows examples of rations where byproducts form the feed base. Local equivalents of the weights indicated can be used whenever scales are not available.
Table1: Molasses based rations
| Ingredient | Ration I | Ration II | Ration III |
| Straw | Ad lib | Ad lib | Ad lib |
| Molasses | 350 g | 250 g | 200g |
| Oilseed cake | 125g | 100 g | — |
| Brewers dried grain | — | — | 200 g |
| Urea | 10 g | — | — |
| Molasses urea block | —- | Free choice | Free choice |
How to Fattened Sheep and Goats
Consider the following when selecting sheep and goats for intensive fattening:
Condition: Select animals that are healthy and have no visible physical defects. Target animals with medium body condition. Body condition scores of 2.25-3.0).
Skeletal frame: The animals should have a large skeletal frame and good body condition.
Castration: Castration influences the fattening process.
Breed: Identify breeds with greatest potential for growth and fattening. Early maturing breeds start depositing fat at an earlier age and can be ready for market at a lower weight.
Sex: Females are earlier maturing than males. Males can do well in feedlots, but often cause problems by fighting. Females can do well in feedlots, but often have lower growth rates partly because they reach carcass finish at an earlier age.
Weight of animals: Weight of animals at the start of the feeding operation governs the duration of feeding and the types and amounts of feedstuffs needed. Lightweight (15-20 kg) animals can use more roughage, whereas heavier lambs (>25 kg) require more concentrates and a shorter feeding period.
Age: Animals can be placed on intensive feeding at any age, usually after weaning. Avoid animals that are too old. Check that the teeth are sound. This has implications on feed utilization. It is advisable to select sheep/goats between 2 and 4years of age for fattening;
Read Also : Management of Breeding Stock in Sheep and Goats
Management of finishing sheep and goats
The fattening program should be started after the necessary feed supplies are secured. Underfeeding and incorrect timing are the most common causes of failures in fattening activities.
The objective in a fattening operation is to convert as much of the feed to body tissue as possible. It is, thus, necessary to minimize the movement of animals during the fattening period. They should be allowed only limited exercise.
The success of a finishing operation depends on the first two weeks after arrival of animals. They may have traveled long distances and will be stressed, hungry, and thirsty. They are generally gathered, sorted; often stand for a long time without feed and water. It is recommended that the following guidelines be followed under such circumstances:
Rest the animals for a few hours in a dry, clean, sheltered area with access to fresh water after arrival. Then offer grass hay or mixed grass- legume hay.
Hand feed salt during the first two weeks; then provide trace mineral salt in a separate feeder. Afterwards, these supplements can be mixed in the complete diet, but salt should continue to be provided adlibitum(free choice).
Animals should have feed available at all times including evenings. If there is no feed left in the morning, feed supply should be increased for the following day.
Adjust the animals to the fattening concentrate diet over a two week period by feeding the concentrate after the animals have consumed enough roughageto provide bulk. Gradually increase the intake of the concentrate every two days, while providing free access to the basal roughage diet.
Sort the animals by weight/size/sex and feed in uniform weight/sex groups. Large animals tend to bully smaller animals and keep them away from feed troughs.
Cull non-performing animals. Some animals do not adapt to intensive feeding irrespective of breed, sex or age. It is best to cull these animals as soon as possible. They can be identified by their poor performance in the initial stages of feeding.
Feed for 90 to 120 days. The length of the feeding period depends upon the desired animal condition and the type of ration fed. What is desired for the export market may just be conditioning without the amount of fat desired by the local market. Thus, animals for export can be sold at a time when the desired condition is attained.
Water should be available at all times. Inadequate water supply will affect their performance.
The animals should have shelters that protect them from adverse environments. The shelter need not be expensive. Any building material will do, depending on availability and financing. The shelter can be constructed from locally available materials such as bamboo or mud with thatched roof.
Space required is about 2 m2 per animal. Shelter should normally be open on one side. Walls up to 1.2 meters on the other three, with a gap of 0.5-0.8 meters between the walls and roof, to provide sufficient ventilation without draft.
Muddy feedlots reduce feed efficiency drastically; it is thus necessary to keep the premises dry. Flooring should be included and elevated at least about 15 degrees to facilitate cleaning and drainage.
Feeding racks (silage, water, mineral and concentrate) should be accessible to both goats and caretaker, preferably in the front of the aisle. A feeding space of 20 linear centimeters should be provided per animal.
Socio-economic considerations: Sheep and goats for fattening need to be purchased when prices are low and sold at times of peak demand when prices are high. Feeds should also be purchased when prices are lowest and stored. These measures are important in increasing the profit margin of the fattening operation.
Health of Fattening Sheep and Goats
It is best to use own animals for the fattening operation if available. The second option is purchasing from the immediate village. Purchase from the market should be taken as the last option. The incidence of especially pestes des petits ruminants (PPR) is rampant in many areas whenever sheep and goats from different sources are gathered in the local markets.
Drench for internal parasites and treat for external parasites with broad spectrum anthelmintics and acaricides respectively before the start of the feeding operation.
Feeding Finishing Sheep and Goats
Finishing can be accomplished with rations containing different proportions of roughages and concentrates.
The proportion depends on the type of feeds available, the desired length of feeding and the types of animals to be finished. Higher proportions of concentrate feeding shorten the time required for fattening.
Concentrates:
High-energy concentrates are fed for energy. Grains and grain products commonly fed are shelled corn, sorghum and wheat. Liquid feedstuffs, such as molasses, can also be used as a source of dietary energy.
Alternative energy sources, such as fodder beet and sweet potato can be fed to growing and finishing sheep and goats, but in most situations performance will not equal that obtained from grains and grain byproducts. High-protein concentrate sources most commonly fed are cottonseed cake, sunflower cake, brewer’s grains, distiller’s grains and other similar feeds.
Roughages:
A wide variety of roughages can be fed to growing and finishing lambs. The amount of roughage to feed depends on the objective of feeding the roughage.
The rations used for fattening can be classified into three categories: starter, intermediate and finishing.
Starter: contains higher levels of roughage, 14% crude protein. The ration is hand-fed in order to control feed consumption and identify any sick animals or animals going off-feed. This ration is generally fed for one week. For animals that have been transported long distances, it is advisable to increase this phase to two weeks.
Intermediate: The animals are gradually changed to the intermediate ration containing a lower proportion of roughage to the total ration, 13% crude protein. Is hand-fed for one week.
Finishing ration: Animals are gradually changed from the intermediate to the finishing ration, which contains even less roughage, with protein content initially of 13%, declining to 12% when successful adjustment on the rations has been achieved.
Finishing rations are self- fed. The finishing ration should contain about 10% roughage which is fed in a separate feeding trough, concentrates being self-fed. Heavy lambs must be finished more rapidly with a high concentrate ration, while lighter lambs can be fed rations containing more roughage.
Table 2. Sample feeding programs for finishing sheep and goats in feedlot
Ingredient | DietI(%) | DietII(%) | DietIII(%) | ||||||
| Weight(kg) | Weight(kg) | Weight(kg) | |||||||
| To 30 | 30- 40 | 40 to market | To 30 | 30- 40 | 40 to market | To 30 | 30- 40 | 40 to market | |
| Ground corn | 52 | 62 | 72 | 49 | 59 | 69 | 60.5 | 60.5 | 59.5 |
| Ground corn cobs | 20 | 10 | – | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chopped grass hay | 33 | 23 | 13 | — | — | — | |||
| Oilseed cake | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
| Dried legume hay | 10 | 10 | 10 | — | — | — | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| Liquid molasses | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Dicalcium phosphate | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Trace mineral salt | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
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