Boer Goats receiving supplementation

NUTRITION

Nutrition is one of the three legs upon which any successful livestock breeding operation is based.  The remaining two legs being genetics and animal health.

We need to distinguish between nutritional supplementation and the feeding of full rations. Livestock requires specific supplementation at strategic times of the production cycle in order to perform efficiently. While the very expensive practice of stall feeding of animals has become commonplace in more recent times, this practice does the hardiness and adaptability of the Boer Goat an injustice. They have not been bred for these conditions.

Selective breeding practices have specifically selected for the attributes whereby Boer Goats are able to forage over long distances, effectively convert low quality vegetation into meat under extensive conditions, and kid in the veld with minimum inputs.

Below are guidelines regarding feeding for various classes of animals.

Supplementing pregnant does

Six weeks prior to kidding, a through flow protein concentrate (Voermol Maxiwol or similar), should be fed as a supplement at a rate of around 350g per animal per day.  Good feed trough management and hygiene is important to ensure minimal kidding problems.
Voermol Maxiwol Premix, Maxiwol Production pellets or Maxiblok are all ready to use concentrates which provide good through flow protein levels for Boer Goats. Maxiwol Concentrate should be mixed with salt and crushed or broken maize and fed at a rate of 350g to 500g per doe per day.

 The following benefits have been recorded:
  • Improves kidding. 
  • Improves udder development and increases milk production. 
  • Kid is stronger and heavier at birth which reduces the risk of infections and diseases. 
  • Doe is on her feet faster after kidding, thus allowing the kid to suckle earlier. 
  • The kid’s survival rate is improved by between 15% and 50%. 
  • Reduces the chance of retained afterbirth. 
  • Improves mothering. 
  • Has led to increased weights in suckling kids.
 
Signs that doe may have a through flow protein deficiency:

  • Doe kids with difficulty.
  • Doe ignores kid after birth.
  • Kid is lighter than 3 kg (benchmark weight is 3,5 kg – 5 kg).
  • Kid is yellowish in colour.
  • Kid mortalities after birth are high.
  • Doe produces thick, sticky colostrum.
  • Weak udder development with low milk production.


Creepfeed ration for kids

The following ration can be mixed and fed ad lib from 2 weeks of age. It increases average daily weight gain which allows you to wean a heavier kid.
  • 200kg Voermol SS200. 
  • 150kg HPK36. 
  • 80kg molasses meal. 
  • 550kg broken or crushed maize. 
Ensure that roughage in the form of lucerne (alfalfa) or other hay is freely available at all times.

Patriot Boer Goat Stud does receiving lucerne

Pregnant Patriot Boer Goat Stud does are brought in from the veld around six weeks prior to kidding where they kid in paddocks. During this time they receive appropriate feed and supplementation to assists in udder development, stimulates milk production, ensures correct kid development and other benefits. It also eliminates early born kid losses due to  predation. Here the does receive their daily lucerne ration. 
© Patriot Boer Goat Stud

Kids receiving a creep feed ration

Kids at Patriot Boer Goat Stud receie a creep feed ration from around 10 days of age.  This significantly boosts their growth rate, reduces pressure from kids on their dams (particularly important during drought periods as we have been experiencing from 2016 to 2021) and reduces excessive condition loss on the does.  The latter allows the does to regain a Condition Score of greater than 3 which means rebreeding can occur sooner.
© Patriot Boer Goat Stud