Nutrition Specificities of Goat Kids in Suckling Period

Abstract

In this paper the up to date methods and regulation of goat kids feeding as the new normatives and nutrient requirements are presented. In kids feeding remarkable attention has to be made on optimal needs concerning the accurate growth and progress. In order to make the best solution the updated normatives with large number of parameters have to be used. Growing goat kids require energy, protein, vitamins and minerals for optimum growth. Determining quantities of these nutrients needed will make possible to determine how much of grain mix and hay should be used to support maintenance and growth. The nutrient requirements of growing goats show a different trend than those of mature animals. The latest investigation results on protein level recommendation in kids feeding (NRC, 2007) have grown over 45%, while energy needs only infinitesimally more in regard to goat nutrient requirement needs considering the NRC recommendation from 1981. However, it must be remembered that energy requirements are based on minimal activity needed to secure feed and the actual requirement may very. Thus, the needs of energy for growing kids with a body mass of 20 kg is 5.69 MJ ME and 75.6 g in proteins. The first three days after birth are the most critical days in the life of a newborn kid. If the mother rejects the kids, colostrum of kids should be fed three times a day, a total of 2 to 3 pint per day. After three days, the kid diet is based on milk or milk replacer, which is given twice a day and does not exceed three liters per day. Feeding with milk or milk replacer may continue until 8-12 weeks or until the time the kids are weaned and able to consume 0.2 kg grain milk per day. At weaning, for feeding the 30 days old kids we used a mixture concentrate for early suckling kids. By own nutrient compounds this grain mixtures must have better quality than concentrate mixtures used in goat kids feeding. Provide a grain mix (kid starter) containing high levels of protein (16%) and high levels of fiber (11%) as well as good quality hay to encourage rumen development. After weaning up to 6 months, continue feeding with kid starter 0.2 to 0.4 kg/day and plenty of good quality forage and pasture. When the growing kids start to use large amounts of hay or green forage in feeding, they should be given a mixture of concentrate with something simpler composition. Do not feed silage and non-protein nitrogen at this age.