Feed your goats according to their individual needs

Joanna Palmer, nutritionist for Smallholder Range offers feeding advice to keep your goats happy and healthy this winter.

- Joanna Palmer

10 Winter feeding of goats should take into consideration that the quantity and quality of grazing and browsing material that forms much of their spring and summer diets will be greatly reduced. This means conserved forage must be supplied to meet these ruminants all important fibre needs. In addition, goats of all ages will also need supplementary concentrate feed to provide additional energy and nutrients to support maintenance, growth, lactation and pregnancy through the winter months.

FEEDING PET AND PYGMY GOATS

Small breeds such as Pygmy goats do not require much supplementary feed to maintain good condition, however they are also very fussy feeders! Allen & Page's Smallholder Range Pygmy Goat Mix has been specially formulated to meet the lower nutritional needs of Pygmy goats and any other goat kept as a pet. It is lower in energy and protein and higher in fibre than other goat mixes, making it ideal for helping to keep waistlines in check, whilst still providing a balanced, natural diet when fed alongside good quality forage. Pygmy Goat Mix contains dried fruit and vegetables such as apples, carrots, pineapple as well as herbs including mint and fenugreek. These tasty ingredients mimic their natural browsing behaviour as well as add interest and variety to their diet. The inclusion of flavourful ingredients like mint and dried carrot pieces makes it a highly palatable feed even to the fussiest of feeders and means the days of trying to encourage them to eat by using high energy and calorific root vegetables are over.

FEEDING PRODUCTIVE GOATS