Roughage such as pasture, browse, or well-cured hay, is required all year for dairy goats. Hay should be used to supplement winter browse and pastures. A daily ration of legume hay, like as alfalfa, is required for milking, breeding and developing stock. Milkers should be fed a conventional dairy grain ration, while males and females should be provided a balanced grain ration. Milk is given to babies until they are two to three months old, but by two weeks of age, they should be eating pasture grass or hay, and by four weeks, they should be eating grain. Salt and clean, fresh water are required for all dairy goats. Mineral supplements are highly recommended.
Whilst being milked, grain can be fed to the does as high quality nutrition is important for lactating females. A lactating female needs high quality hay or pasture to sustain her lactation. She also requires 16-18% protein grain, fed twice daily for a total daily consumption of roughly 21-23% of her body weight. A 90 kg female requires approximately 2.5 kg of concentrate in addition to high-quality hay. If you milk twice a day, the concentrate ration can be divided between milking’s.
Drying off should be done gradually over seven to ten days by reducing the concentrate part of her diet and feeding her lower-quality grass hay or pasture. If drying off doesn’t start to occur then reduce the hay and water for several. Milk production is halted as a result of the pressure from a full udder, and the milk in her udder gradually resorbs.