Setting the Benchmark. Part 1: Achieving Excellence Through Phase Feeding

Producers should adopt a holistic approach based on scientific practices. There are a lot of factors that will influence the margins of the producers, and these can be factors like the weather, which the producer cannot fully predict or manage. The producer should instead focus on the factors that they can manage and have an influence on, like animal selection practices, supplementary feeding strategy, management of personnel, financial management and pasture/veld management. In my opinion, for a goat farmer to set the benchmark and maximize profits, it is essential to efficiently increase the kilograms of lamb produced per ewe per hectare. For a producer to achieve this, they need to effectively increase twin births, weaning rate, weaning weights, post-weaning growth, longevity and survival of ewes and reproduction rates. See Table 1 for a summary of the differences in approach by highly profitable farmers and less profitable farmers.

“You cannot just continue doing the same thing again and again and expect a different result each time” Andrew Vizard (2002).
 

Table 1: The difference between a high-profit goat farmer vs low-profit goat farmer.

Table 2: The economic traits of goats that should be set as goals

Body Condition Score
The production of goats will strongly correlate with the amount of energy, protein, bypass protein, vitamins and minerals they ingest. The characteristics of minerals are important, and I believe that the structure of these mineral molecules will influence the bioavailability. Goat farmers should strive to supplement their animals with what the veld cannot provide. These supplements should complement the grazing/browsing system and balance the final diet of the goats. Goats can provide themselves with resources like energy from fat deposits. Knowing this, the producer must be aware of the Body Condition Score (BCS) of the animal during each production phase.

When the BCS is measured, the producer can make an informed decision on supplementary feed and the amount that is needed to reach the desired BCS in every production phase. Keeping a hand on BCS will increase the productivity of the animals and maximise the profit of the system. BCS is a long-term management tool, whereas weighing animals is seen as a short-term management tool. The rule of thumb (for ewes heavier than 60kg) is: 1 BCS point is equivalent to 10kg bodyweight. For smaller ewes (that weigh less than 60kg), 1 BCS point is equivalent to 5kg bodyweight.

The Body Condition of your goats will have a significant influence on the economic effectiveness of your business throughout the year and different seasons. Producers should shy away from systems where the animals lose weight/BCS during certain phases and only gain condition before mating. Higher profits are made with animals that maintain good BCS throughout the year and the different production phases than having to regain conditions during crucial phases. Your animals, especially the ewes, should be kept at a BCS of 3 throughout the year, with a BCS of 3.5 being the most profitable. Incorporating the SFOS concept of De Heus into your system will ensure optimal fermentation and digestion of available roughage sources. The SFOS concept increases the cost-effectiveness of your animals through optimal rumen health and increasing microbial protein availability.

Weaning Phase up to First Mating
The rearing of ewe lambs is often neglected by breeders because the producer does not necessarily receive the immediate economic benefit of this phase. There is a misperception that this phase is uneconomical, and it is not necessary to spend money on rearing lambs. Lambs that do not receive any form of creep feed during the suckling or pre-weaning phase will suffer more from wean shock. Not only will these animals have lower weaning weights, more fragile digestive tracts, and add additional pressure on the already high-producing ewes, but they will also take longer to overcome wean shock. The larger effect of wean shock will influence their immune system and make these lambs more susceptible to infections.

Ewe lambs that go through significant weight loss from birth up to weaning will suffer from decreased ovulation tempo and ultimately rear fewer lambs during their lifetime. Most Goat farmers will wean at 100 days of age, with a lot of variance in weaning weights between different breeders. I motivate my clients to wean lambs as close to 30kg body weight under 110 days of age.
 
This is possible with good-quality veld, high-quality creep feed and good management practices. For producers to increase the production and reproduction rate of their flock, improvement of the rearing system and better pre-weaning growth are essential. The weaned ewe lambs should continue with the creep feed up to 14 days post-weaning or until they reach a body weight of at least 32kg. These young ewe lambs are not supposed to suffer weight loss up to their first lambing season. This would ensure high lambing rates. My advice to clients is to mate their ewe lambs at a minimum of 80% of mature weight, but preferably closer to 90% of mature weight.

For every kilogram we gain before the mating season, within a good body condition, the result is a 1.5% increase in lambing rate. Flush feeding is a method to improve multiple ovulations in the ewes. Flush feeding should be implemented 21 days before mating and continue for another three weeks during the mating period. Flush feeding can be in the form of a well-rested pasture or increased intakes of supplementary feed. The rearing of your replacement ewes is probably the most important investment you can make in your flock. These replacement ewes will be your oldest ewes in about 6 years, and within that short period can improve the production and reproduction of your entire flock.

Gestation Phase
The gestation phase can be divided into 4 parts:
•    Part 1-Fertilization (day 0)
•    Part 2-Early and Mid-Gestation (day 1 to 90)
•    Part 3-Late Gestation (day 90 to 150)
•    Part 4-Lambing (day 150 to 155)

During Part 1 of Gestation, the ewe should be in a BCS of at least 3, but preferably 3.5 and higher. An increase of one BCS point may increase the lambing rate by 15%-20%. The birth of multiple lambs is highly correlated with the BCS of the ewe at mating, because BCS is one of the controlling factors of ovulation tempo. The way the ewe reaches her full reproduction potential is dependent on environmental factors, which include feed/grazing/browsing and management.
 
During Part 2 of the Gestation phase, it is ideal for the ewes to be in a BCS of 3. The BCS of the ewe during early- and mid-gestation will influence the birth weight and the permanent development of the coming lambs. Weight and condition should be maintained during this period at all costs. It will be costly to regain weight and condition in late gestation when physical space is an issue. Every BCS point lost during mid-gestation (day 30-90) will result in a decrease in the lamb’s birth weight. Part 2 of Gestation is where placenta development takes place, which is important for embryo and foetus development.

Part 3 of Gestation will require the producer to maintain a BCS of 3 on the animals, but preferably higher. The growth and development of the foetus (85%) mostly takes place during late gestation. During this period, the physical space becomes an issue as the foetus/foetuses become larger. For this reason, the producer should increase the amount of supplementary feed and focus on high-density feed to overcome the smaller rumen capacity. The supplementary feed during this part should consist of higher energy, quality natural proteins, higher bypass protein levels and quality minerals and vitamins. A quality supplementary feed with a higher nutritional density will ensure ample milk production, higher volume of colostrum, better-quality colostrum, avoid milk fever (Hypocalcaemia) and pregnancy toxaemia. Lamb survival is strongly correlated with birth weight. Every gram added to the birth weight will increase the survival rate of that lamb.

During Part 4(Lambing), the ewe should still maintain her 3 BCS during lactation. The first 48 hours after lambing are crucial for lamb survival. Suckling within the first 6 hours is important for bonding between the ewe and the lambs. Colostrum intake is also extremely important within the first 6 hours after birth. Water will always be the most important nutrient, and any producer should always ensure that their animals have access to cool, clean and fresh drinking water.

Lactation Phase
A lactating ewe, especially with multiple lambs, should be seen in the same light as a lactating dairy cow. Lactating ewes are under immense stress to produce high milk yields to feed their lambs. Insufficient intake of quality pasture and supplementary feed during this period may be the cause of lower weaning weights of current lambs, poor conceptions in the following breeding season and fewer multiple births in the following lambing season. More than 70% of the ewe flock’s reproduction potential is influenced by feed, and for this reason, it is crucial to be sure the lactating ewes have sufficient supplementary feed during this period. The following oestrus cycle of the ewe will be delayed if the ewe loses weight and body condition during the lactation period.

It takes up to five months for follicles to develop in the ovaries, of which the last two months will be during lactation. This is another reason why producers need to provide the ewes with high levels of quality feed during the lactation period. The lactating ewe should maintain a BCS of at least 3 during this phase, but a higher BCS will be beneficial. A management method during this period can be to divide the ewes into groups according to the number of lambs they have suckling. When there are groups, the producer can apply precision feeding in the different groups and be more cost-effective in this manner. To refer to the weaning phase above, creep feed is not negotiable for a high-producing goat business to be profitable. Young lambs have an unmatchable conversion ratio, and producers should take advantage of that during the creep phase while these lambs are suckling. Lambs that receive creep feed will handle weaning a lot better and will ensure higher post-weaning growth.
 

Table 3: Supplementary Feed Intakes.

**These recommendations may vary depending on the BCS of the animals and the quality of veld/ roughage available.

Conclusion
In the evolving landscape of goat farming, producers who embrace a scientific, data-driven approach will consistently outperform those who rely solely on tradition or outdated methods. Success hinges on setting clear production goals, maintaining optimal body condition scores, and strategically managing each phase of the production cycle with precision feeding and proper supplementation. By investing in the development of replacement ewes, monitoring economic indicators, and prioritizing animal health and nutrition with the help of the De Heus SFOS concept, farmers can unlock higher lambing rates, improved growth, and ultimately, greater profitability. Setting the benchmark in goat farming is not just about producing more; it’s about producing smarter, with sustainability and efficiency at the forefront.

Should you require more information relating to achieving excellence through phase feeding, please contact your nearest De Heus Technical Specialist - https://www.deheus.co.za/meet-our-team/.