Some commercial goat producers used to raise goats in stall feeding system. And stall feeding system is considered as one of the best and most profitable goat farming system (especially for commercial goat producers).
But always remember that, goats do their best if they have facilities to go out in the pasture, grazing on various types of greens, shrub, leaves and forage throughout the day.
But in some areas around the world, people don’t have the facility to let their goats spending their days grazing on various types of greens and tasty looking plants or leaves. If you are among those areas, then you have to depend on stall feeding goat farming system.
What to Feed Goats in Stall Feeding System
In stall fed goat farming system, try to feed your goats balanced diet that is enriched with all necessary nutrients and that can absolutely meet all their nutritional demands.
Goat’s Regular Diet
Naturally goats become happy and stay healthy by consuming various types of greens, which are available in the nature. This type of natural diet includes weeds, shrub plants, grasses, leaves etc. Adding some extra additives with natural diet, will ensure good health, proper growth and maximum production. Goat producers usually provide their goats grain and hay (in captivity) for maintaining regular growth and a healthy weight. Providing hay and grain with their other feeds, ensure that their goats are getting all required nutritional demands.
A combination of free choice plants and grasses and less amount of free choice hay and grain is considered as the best and healthy pasture diet for the productive goats. So, if you have pastures, then let your goats graze on the grasses and plants and limit the scoop of hay and grain for better result.
Stall Feeding
In stall feeding system, goats don’t have the facility of grazing to meet up their nutritional demands by themselves. So, you have to provide them balanced diet with all types of necessary nutrient available. You have to replace grazing with various types of forage. You can provide them highly protein enriched grain and high quality hay (for example peanut or alfalfa).
Never feed your goats more than 1.5 to 2 pounds of grain daily. Because feeding more grain can result slow growth. Instead, add more high quality hay in their regular diet, if you notice that your goats are not maintaining an adequate weight. In some areas, it’s very difficult to serve the goats sufficient amount of greens. In this case you can provide them specially prepared feed that can meet up the demand of greens. You can feed them hay mixed with urea and molasses. Follow the steps below for preparing hay mixed with urea and molasses.
- Take 1 kg chopped hay or dried grass.
- 220 grams molasses.
- 30 grams urea and
- 600 ml fresh and clean water.
- Mix the urea and molasses with water.
- Then mix that mixer with the chopped hay or grass.
- You are done! Now it’s ready for feeding your goats.
This type of processed dry feeds are easily digestible, contain more fiber and very suitable for goat health (especially very suitable for castrated goats). You can try feeding your goats this processed dry feed if you are raising them for meat purpose.
Minerals
Minerals play a vital role in your goat’s health. Adding necessary minerals are must for raising goats in stall feeding system. Because in stall feeding system, feed additives are limited and you have to ensure necessary minerals by adding it with your goat’s regular feed. You can add loose mineral mixture or mineral block with your goat’s feed.
Water
Sufficient amount of clean and fresh water is very important for raising goats, especially if you raise them in stall feeding system. Provide your goats plenty of fresh and clean water regularly. On an average an adult goat need more than 1 litter of fresh drinking water daily. Although it depends on the breeds. Some plants and pasture greens contain their own moisture and your goats will need less water. But some feeds like grains and hay are often quite dry and provide little amount of water or moisture content. If you feed your goats hay or grain, they will need more water. Goats may become dehydrated or sick if they are deprived of sufficient amount of water. So, always make a clean and fresh water source available.
