Economical feedstuffs for on-farm meat goat diets

S. Schoenian, N.C. Whitley, and E. Johnson

University of Maryland College Park
University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne
Maryland Cooperative Extension

A barley-based diet produced more economical gains.

Eighteen intact male crossbred Boer meat goats born in March were used to determine if barley could be used as the primary feedstuff in an economical on-farm meat goat diet. At approximately 161.0 ± 1.3 days of age, goats were placed into two groups (day -14) for a 14-day adjustment period and fed 17% CP diets consisting of a pelleted commercial goat feed (COM; 17% Goat Feed, Medicated; Southern States, Richmond, VA; n = 9) or a barley-based feed mixed on-farm (BAR; n=9) with ad libitum grass hay and water. The BAR diet was 76.2% barley, 20% protein supplement (40% Sheep Supplement; Southern States, Richmond, VA) and 3.8% medicated mixing pellet (CM Deccox Mixing Pellet, Medicated; Agway, Inc., Syracuse, NY). At the end of the adjustment period, goats were placed in 4.6 x 1.5 m pens in a shelter with concrete floors and straw bedding under natural light conditions with 3 goats per pen and 3 pens per treatment. Animals were hand fed their respective diets twice daily (am and pm) and fescue grass hay once daily (at mid-day; 10.1% CP as analyzed) at levels adjusted each time fed to optimize lack of wastage but allow animals all they would eat. Water was allowed ad libitum. All feed and hay was weighed before being placed into the pens, but unconsumed feed was not weighed unless the amount left unconsumed covered more than 20% of the feed trough. Body weights were measured and recorded weekly for the length of the trial (56 days). The average cost of each diet was $.31/kg for the COM diet and $.17/kg for the BAR diet. Hay cost was approximately $.10/kg. Data were analyzed for the overall time period for each pen, except for body weights, which were analyzed on a weekly basis. There was no effect of diet on body weight, with average weights increasing (P < .0001) from 28.6 ± .91 kg (week 0; d 0) to 38.7 ± .91 kg at the end of the study (week 8; d 56). Hay consumption was not influenced by treatment and averaged .54 ± .02 kg/d. Average daily gain was also similar between diets, averaging approximately .18 ± .03 kg/d. Feed intake (measured as feed offered) was not influenced by treatment and averaged 1.43 ± .06 kg/d for grain and 1.97 ± .05 kg/d for total feed (hay and grain). Feed efficiency was not influenced by treatment (kg feed/kg gain was 10.62 ± 1.36 for BAR and 11.71 ± 1.36 for COM; kg gain/kg feed, .13 ± .02 for BAR and .12 ± .02 for COM). However, cost per kg of BW gain was less (P < 0.04) for BAR ($.58 ± .14) than for COM ($1.19 ± .14) for grain and for total feed costs ($1.57 ± .33 for BAR and $2.93 ± .33 for COM). Based on this information, barley is an acceptable diet for meat goats and is more economical than the commercial diet tested.