Nutrient Requirements of Sheep and Goats

Ruminant digestive system
Ration balancing
1. Describe animals you are
feeding
2. Determine their nutrient

requirements
3. Determine what feedstuffs

are available
4. List composition of feedstuffs
5. Match feedstuffs to
nutrient requirements of
animals
Calculating daily feed requirement
3% of body weight DM basis
BW= 50 kg
Daily DM Req = 3/100 * 50
= 1.5 kg
2% of TRq = 2/100*50 1% of TRq = 1/100*50

= 1 kg = 0.5 kg
Roughages Concentrates
Fodder/Hay/Straw Grains/Meals/Byproducts
Maize fodder Required Concentrate Required

Calculating daily feed requirement
3% of body weight DM basis
BW= 50 kg
Daily DM Req = 3/100 * 50
= 1.5 kg
2% of TRq = 2/100*50 1% of TRq = 1/100*50

= 1 kg = 0.5 kg
Roughages Concentrates
Fodder/Hay/Straw Grains/Meals/Byproducts
Concentrate DM = 90%
Maize DM = 30%
90 kg DM present in = 100 kg
30 kg Dm present in = 100kg
1 kg DM is present in = 100/90 kg
1 kg DM present in = 100/30 kg
0.5 kg DM is present in =
100/90*0.5= 0.62 kg
Sheep and goats require five essential nutrients.
1. Water
2. Energy
3. Protein
4. Minerals
5. Vitamins
Water is the most important nutrient.
▪ Sheep and goats are able to obtain most
of their water from forage consumption.
▪ Sheep/goats drink less water than
other species, but require better
quality (cleaner) water.
▪ Water quality can be impaired by
contaminants, such as salt, excess
nutrients, or bacteria.
▪ Water should be shaded in summer and
warm in winter, to encourage intake.
Water requirements vary by animal.
Class
Daily
consumption
litters per day
Young lamb/kids 0.3 to 1.1
Feeder lamb/kids 3.8 to 6

Gestation 3.8 to 7.5
Lactation 7.5 to 11
Ram/buck 3.8 to 7.5
3.8 liters per 1.8 kg. of DM consumed.
0.9 liter of water for every 0.5 liter of milk
produced.
Energy is usually the most limiting nutrient
in sheep and goat diets.
▪ Most feedstuffs provide energy.
▪ Energy comes mostly from carbohydrates, but also

fats and protein.
▪ Best sources of energy are fat, oils, and grains.
▪ Excess energy is stored as fat.
▪ Energy is expressed in many ways in animal

nutrition: TDN, ME, and NE.
▪ TDN (total digestible nutrients) is most commonly
used to balance small ruminant rations.
NEM
Maintenance (20%)
Nutrient partitioning NE
Net energy
(40%)
ME
Metabolizable
Energy (60%)
TDN Production (20%)
Digestible
energy (70%)
Losses as heat (20%)

Gross energy 1. Fermentation
in feed 2. Nutrient metabolism
100% Loss in urine (5%)

and in gas (5%)
Loss in feces
(30%)
Protein is a more expensive nutrient.
▪ Most feedstuffs provide protein.
▪ Amount is more critical than quality.
▪ Best sources are oilseed meals and

legumes.
▪ Need decreases as animal ages.
▪ Excess protein is converted to

energy.
▪ By-pass protein is not degraded in rumen. It
by-passes rumen and is mainly digested in
the small intestine.
▪ Protein is expressed many ways in animal
nutrition. CP or crude protein is usually used
to balance rations for sheep and goats.
Minerals: two kinds
MACRO MICRO OR TRACE
▪ Sodium (Na) ▪ Cobalt (Co)
Salt ▪ Copper (Cu)*
▪ Chloride (Cl)
▪ Fluoride (Fl)
▪ Calcium (Ca)
▪ Iodine (I)
▪ Phosphorus (P) ▪ Iron (Fe)
▪ Manganese (Mn)
▪ Magnesium (Mg)
▪ Molybdenum (Mo)
▪ Potassium (K) ▪ Selenium (Se)*
▪ Sulfur (S) ▪ Zinc (Z)
Salt – Sodium Chloride - NaCl
▪ Required in relatively large amounts compared
to
other minerals.
▪ Requirements vary.
▪ Only mineral for which livestock have “nutritional

wisdom.”
▪ Salt deprivation may cause animals to eat
things they ordinarily wouldn’t (pica).
▪ Salt can be used to regulate intake of other
nutrients
▪ Salt can be used as a carrier for other nutrients
Calcium and phosphorus
▪ Improper ratio of calcium to phosphorus can
result in urinary calculi in male animals.
▪ Calcium to phosphorus ratio should be at
least 2:1 in rations for male animals.
▪ Low blood calcium causes milk fever in does
and
ewes.
▪ In doe, calcium requirements peak in
lactation.
▪ In ewe calcium requirements peak in late
gestation.
▪ Calcium is one of the least expensive nutrients,
while phosphorus is one of the most
Vitamins: two
kinds
WATER SOLUBLE FAT
▪ C -
SOLUBLE
▪ A
synthesized in tissues Usually adequate in diets containing
high quality forage.
▪ B complex ▪ D
▪ Thiamine (B1) Sometimes, supplementation required.
▪ E
▪ B12 Synthesized
in rumen ▪ K
▪ Others
Synthesized
Usually no in rumen
dietary
requirement
Many factors affect nutrient requirements
of sheep and goats.
▪ Species
▪ Genetics
▪ Size (weight)
▪ Stage or production
▪ Level of production or
performance
What else can affect nutritional requirements?
▪ Heat and cold extremes
Nutrient requirements are based on thermoneutral zone
Critical temperature varies by coat condition, body
condition, wind, rainfall, and humidity.
▪ Activity
Nutrient requirements are based on pen feeding.
▪ Parasitism, including sub-clinical
Nutrient requirements are for confined animals.
Greater effect on protein than energy requirements.
▪ Adjustment in feed intake
Animals eat more in cold weather and less in hot
weather.
Dry matter (DM) is an important concept in
animal nutrition.
▪ Dry matter is what remains after water Feedstuff % DM
has been extracted out of a feed. Hay 88 – 90
▪ Feed stuffs vary in the amount of Grain 88 – 90
dry matter they contain.
Fresh grass 24 – 29
▪ Dry matter is an indicator of the
Fresh clover 19 – 24
amount
of nutrients in the feed. Corn silage 34 – 44
Grass silage 30 –40
▪ Livestock need to consume a
certain amount of dry matter per Pumpkins 10
day.
Soybean meal 91
▪ In small ruminants, dry matter intake Straw 90 – 91
(DMI) varies from ~1.5 to 6 percent and
is affected by many factors.
Factors affecting intake
 Palatability
Flavor and texture
 Foraging behavior
bite size and bite rate
 Chemical characteristics of feed
alkaloids, endophyte, tannins, and terpenes
 Forage quality, density, and availability
 Dietary energy and fiber content
Fiber  Intake 
 Physiological stage of animal
 Temperature
temperature  metabolic rate 
 Supplementation
Body condition scoring
▪ A subjective way to
evaluate the nutritional
status of a flock or herd.
▪ It is a subjective measure of
the body fatness of muscle
cover of an animal.
▪ Is rated on a scale of 1-5, with
1 being emaciated, 3 being
average, and 5 being obese.
Half score are utilized.
Thank you.

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Ruminant digestive system

2. Determine their nutrient

3. Determine what feedstuffs

2% of TRq = 2/10050 1% of TRq = 1/10050

Maize fodder Required Concentrate Required

2% of TRq = 2/10050 1% of TRq = 1/10050

Feeder lamb/kids 3.8 to 6

▪ Energy comes mostly from carbohydrates, but also

▪ Excess energy is stored as fat.

▪ Energy is expressed in many ways in animal

Losses as heat (20%)

100% Loss in urine (5%)

▪ Amount is more critical than quality.

▪ Best sources are oilseed meals and

▪ Excess protein is converted to

▪ Only mineral for which livestock have “nutritional

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