Proper nutrition for goats is important at all ages in order to
maximize profit potential in the kids, yearlings or adult animals
when
rearing goats.
Nutrient requirements differ in various stages of maintenance,
growth, pregnancy and lactation, but it is important to feed a
balanced ration at all times when
keeping
goats because as they are too fat, too skinny
or receiving too much or too little of specific nutrients are more
prone to other health problems. Conversely, goats that are sick,
wormy or injured also will not benefit maximally from proper
nutrition.
Goats are ruminants. The stomach of a goat is divided into four
compartments: rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum. This
combination of compartments allows ruminants to digest cellulose
and other complex carbohydrates that cannot be digested by
non-ruminants. Microorganisms in the rumen and reticulum possess
the cellulase enzymes that break down cellulose to more simple
compounds which the animal uses as an energy source. The abomasum
functions as the true stomach by secreting digestive juices
similarly to the simple stomach in non-ruminants such as man and
swine.
When a goat kid is born, the abomasum is functional, but its
rumen, reticulum and omasum are small and non-functional. The kid
depends on low fiber milk, not forage, for its source of
nutrition. When the kid swallows milk, the milk goes directly to
the abomasums through the esophageal groove. Every time the kid
swallows, this flap of skin at the entrance to the reticulo-rumen
folds over to form a groove that bypasses the reticulum and rumen.
This diversion sends the milk directly to the abomasum to be
digested by stomach acids. As the kid gets older, it starts
consuming forage. Then the rumen with its microorganisms becomes
active and starts to enlarge. Its population of microorganisms
increases, which slowly and more efficiently allows it to digest
forages. The reticulum and omasum also respond to the changes in
diet by getting bigger. By the time the kid is an adult goat,
forage is the main source of food, and the rumen is much larger
than the abomasum.
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