![]() ![]() Over or underfeeding sheep and goats is costly, in many ways. Producers with small numbers of animals may also be able individually feed animals that have higher nutritional requirements. It may not be necessary to physically separate dairy females if different amounts of concentrate can be fed at the time of milking. You will also enhance your marketing opportunities if you are able to market lambs or kids of similar size and quality.ĭairy animals should be separated into production groups and fed according to their stage of lactation, genetic potential for milk production, and desired level of production (maximum production is not always the most profitable). Mixing species and breeds that vary significantly in size and productivity makes feeding properly more challenging. Your feeding program will be made easier if your flock is uniform in size and productivity. Feeding growing animals in the same group as mature animals is also problematic. If you keep females nursing triplets in the same feeding group as females nursing twins or those nursing singles, the same thing will happen. If you keep pregnant and lactating females in the same feeding group, some females will be overfed or some will be underfed. Sheep and goats should be divided into production groups and fed according to their nutritional requirements. One of the quickest ways to increase anthelmintic resistance is to underdose an animal. ![]() Accurate weights will also aid in your animal health program. ![]() Consider purchasing a scale or sharing a scale with other producers. Very few people, if any, can accurately estimate the weight of livestock. If you never weigh your livestock, your feeding program will be rooted in guesswork. Prior to breeding is usually the best time. Ideally, you should weigh your animals at least once per year. It is difficult to know how much to feed a sheep or goat, if you don't know how much it weighs. Animals that have to walk further for the feed have higher nutritional needs, as well as animals below their critical temperature. Environmental conditions also affect nutrient requirements. A sheep and goat's nutrition requirements are based on its size (weight), age, and stage and level of production. The first step towards reducing feed costs is fine-tuning your feeding program to make sure you are meeting, but not exceeding your animals' nutritional requirements. Some strategies may require some economies of scale. What works for one producer may not work for another. Other strategies require a financial investment that should pay for itself in the long run. Many of the steps are common sense and do not cost money (or much) to implement. However, there are some steps producers can take to reduce feed costs. ![]()
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