In practical terms the following period are important ones to consider when feeding goats:
• Bucks and nannies 1 month before mating
• Nannies for the 3 weeks after mating
• Nannies the final month before kidding
• First 2 months of lactation
• Growing kids, especially post weaning.
Only in selected situations are concentrates likely to be either available or given as a supplement. More likely supplements are legumes or crop residues. These might include leucaena, stylos, pigeon peas, sweet potato stems/leaves, groundnut haulm and cassava leaves.
When not being used for mating, bucks do not normally need supplementary feed. A small quantity of concentrate in the 3-4 week period before breeding will help build up body condition of bucks.
This is important if the males have many nannies to mate or if climatic conditions are harsh. Bucks can lose a great deal of weight during the mating period.
Feeding nannies immediately before and for three weeks after mating keeps them in good condition and will help the implantation of fertilized eggs in the uterus.
By far the most critical period during which correct feeding is important for the nanny is the last month of pregnancy when the fetuses’ are growing very rapidly and causing a severe strain on the mother’s body reserves.
Reducing the ration immediately after kidding and then building it up again for the first three weeks of the lactation until weaning, will encourage good milk production.
If nannies are in very poor condition at weaning, supplementary feeding will enable them to regain body condition and to be in a good state for mating and conception.
It is hard to justify the cost of feeding kids concentrates. Supplementary feeding of kids after weaning will stop them losing weight that often occurs when the nannies’ milk is no longer available to them.
Read Also: The Principles of Goat Production for Maximum Production
