Nutrition

Preventing Metabolic Diseases in Pregnant Goats

Michael Metzger, Michigan State University Extension Educator
(Previously published on MSU Extension, Sheep & Goat: December 10, 2024)

(Image Source: Michael Metzger, MSU Extension)

Meeting the nutritional requirements of the pregnant doe can prevent serious problems at the time of delivery and support subsequent milk production.

Nutrition is important during all phases of production in all classes of livestock and is particularly important during the breeding season and the resulting pregnancy. Goats need a balanced diet to be healthy and productive, and water is a crucial nutrient that is often overlooked. During the winter months, it is important to maintain a supply of fresh water that is not frozen for the animals. This article will describe the nutritional needs of gestating and lactating goats and some common metabolic diseases in gestating females.

Nutrition and vaccinations during gestation
The average gestation period for goats is 150 days. During the first two-thirds of gestation, there is Continue reading Preventing Metabolic Diseases in Pregnant Goats →

Moldy Hay or Baleage Poses Risks

Mike Rankin, Senior Editor, Hay & Forage Grower
(Previously published online with Hay & Forage Grower: December 24, 2024)

Hopefully, no haymaker puts up a crop that they know will mold; however, many haymakers have pushed the moisture limit and hoped the mold fairy wouldn’t pay a visit. Sometimes, she just comes uninvited.

“Most hay can become moldy when it is baled too wet, left in the field for too long, or stored outside in shaded areas where rain or humidity can slow down the drying process and increase the risk of mold,” notes Rocky Lemus, an extension forage specialist with Mississippi State University. “Hay that is cut and baled with a high amount of dirt, or hay where the plant shows signs of fungal diseases, could also contain spores that will germinate if exposed to moisture during storage.” Continue reading Moldy Hay or Baleage Poses Risks →

Mineral Considerations for Sheep

Jaelyn Whaley, South Dakota State University Extension Sheep Field Specialist
(Previously published online with South Dakota State University Extension: May 22, 2024)

Minerals play an integral role in many reactions throughout the body, and they are critical for animal health and performance. Bioavailability, individual animal consumption, individual mineral interactions, and variable plant and soil mineral concentrations make strategic mineral programs challenging. The differences between toxicity and deficiencies are small and can greatly affect sheep production.

Identifying Deficiencies
Precisely supplementing needed minerals begins with identifying potential deficiencies or toxicities of both macrominerals (Ca, P, Na, K, Mg, Cl) and microminerals (Cu, Mn, Zn, Se, Co, I). If your ewes are on pasture, shrub and forb species are generally higher in mineral concentration than grasses. Therefore, forage sampling that is representative of sheep grazing behavior and your pasture serves accurate assessment of mineral consumption. Making sure that Continue reading Mineral Considerations for Sheep →

Quality Hay Tastes Great and is Less Filling

Mike Rankin, Senior Editor, Hay & Forage Grower
(Previously published online with Hay & Forage Grower: November 26, 2024)

Although written from a cattle perspective, today’s article from Mike Rankin highlights that benefits and challenges of feeding high quality hay. For those looking to stretch their winter feed supplies, a combination of all quality types of hay may be the solution…. Be sure to look in to this one folks!

Who can forget those old Miller Lite beer commercials when a variety of celebrities were enlisted to tout the product as either tasting great or being less filling? Of course, in the eyes of the Miller Brewing Company, the product was both.

The same can’t always be said for hay. High-quality hay, with excellent fiber digestibility, may take on the same advertised virtues of the beer, but poor-quality hay will definitely not. Continue reading Quality Hay Tastes Great and is Less Filling →

Don’t Guess Hay Quality — Test It!

Tom Bechman, Midwest Crops Editor
(Previously published in Wisconsin Agriculturalist: October 16, 2024)

(Image Source: Hay and Forage Grower)

Pulling forage samples is not an option in Nick Minton’s eyes. It is essential.

“It is where everything begins for feeding livestock,” says Minton, a Purdue animal scientist and director of the Indiana Bull Evaluation Program, based at the Feldun-Purdue Ag Center near Bedford, Ind.

“If you don’t test forages, you don’t have any guidelines for building your ration,” he explains. “You could feed for a month and then judge performance based on if [your livestock] were maintaining body condition or getting thin, but that is backward, in my judgment.

“Forages are a big part of the ration for beef bulls in our testing program, and I want to feed a balanced ration from the beginning. That means I must test feed ingredients for nutrient content, including forages.”

How to sample hay
Achieving a reliable forage test starts with sampling correctly, Minton says. Here are his five basic steps for preparing and evaluating accurate samples: Continue reading Don’t Guess Hay Quality — Test It! →

Management of Sheep and Goats Through Drought

David Brown, Livestock Field Specialist, University of Missouri Extension
(Previously published online with the University of Missouri Extension: June, 2024)

The extended period of drought has led to feed and water shortages for livestock. Sheep and goats may have difficulty meeting their nutritional needs, which can lead to weight loss as body reserves are depleted. During this period, most of the animals are predisposed to diseases and some die, leading to great economic loss for producers. It is therefore important to prepare animals for strategies that will help them cope and maintain body condition.

During the drought period, the demand for forage and/or water can be greater than the supply. The producer is then faced with a decision to either increase the supply of forage by purchasing hay or other feedstuffs, or to reduce forage demand by reducing the number of animals that depend on the forage. This is a tough decision to make.

Management strategies consideration during drought

Selling — There has been discussion for producers to Continue reading Management of Sheep and Goats Through Drought →