Too much bag feed can ruin a goat’s health, expert says

It may seem easier for farmers to feed their goats exclusively on bag feed, but livestock expert Maxine Brown says such a diet is bad for the animals and may even end up killing them.

Brown, a livestock specialist at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority, RADA, says a diet consisting mostly of forage is better for the animals and is more economical for farmers.

Forage, which refers to plants consumed as food by browsing or grazing animals, is now being actively produced with an eye on the nutrient content, Brown said. The plantings by goat farmers, with the support of RADA, include different types of grass and legumes.

“Ruminant animals have to ruminate on the forages. There are microbes in the stomach, which break down the forages and release the nutrients the animals need,” Brown said, noting that bag feed is used as a supplement to the diet of herbs and grasses.

A goat consumes three to seven pounds of dry intake per day, depending on its size, and takes six to 12 months to rear. A 50-pound live goat sells for about $37,500, and the price doubles when butchered, according to President of the Small Ruminants Association of Jamaica Trevor Bernard.

We are encouraging the feeding off the land in order to cut back on the bill for imported feed,” he said, but he noted that there wan’t enough forage available to feed the animals.

Goats eat a range of plants, including legumes, which are nutritious and high in protein content, as well as hog wisp and Spanish needle, Bernard noted.

Popular forage plants in Jamaica include African star, pangola, Guinea grass, Mulatto 2, stylosanthes, blue pea, Lucina, mulberry and moringa, Brown added.

“We continue to learn about forages, their nutrients, durability, and the areas in which they grow,” Brown said.

Bernard, who is also an executive member of the Kingston and St Andrew branch of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, says goat farmers are being encouraged to rear the better milk producing goat breeds in order to enter the higher value-added segment of the market.

Breeds such as Saanen and Nubian, with better milk production, enable the production of cheese and yoghurt, Bernard said.

luke.douglas@gleanerjm.com