Goats and sheep gain weight when they eat enough balanced feed for their body weight, drink clean water and are free of worms. For fattening, give Truemeal TMR-E complete feed at 5% of body weight a day on its own, or 3% with green fodder at 6%. Weigh a few animals every two weeks and feed more as they grow.
How much to feed
Sheep and goats are fed by body weight, not by guess.
- Fattening, complete feed only: 5% of body weight a day. A 20 kg goat eats about 1 kg a day.
- Fattening, with green fodder: 3% complete feed plus 6% green fodder. A 20 kg goat eats about 0.6 kg of feed and 1.2 kg of green fodder.
- Breeding animals, complete feed only: 3.5% of body weight a day.
- Breeding animals, with green fodder: 2% complete feed plus 6% green fodder.
These amounts are for Truemeal's complete feed. Another feed has its own amounts, so follow what its bag says.
Example: 10 lambs of 25 kg for fattening eat about 12.5 kg a day on complete feed alone. That is about 15 bags of 25 kg a month.
Make my free Feed Plan — enter your flock and their weight, and it works out kg a day, bags a month and the cost.
Weigh, don't guess
Weigh 2–3 typical animals every two weeks. As they grow, they need more feed. Update the weight in your Feed Plan and it changes the amounts. Read: Weigh a few, feed them all right.
Before you start fattening
- Deworm the animals first, as your vet advises. Worms eat the feed you pay for.
- Vaccinate on time, for example against PPR and enterotoxaemia, as your vet or the animal husbandry department advises.
- Choose young, healthy, active animals. A sick or very old animal will not gain well, whatever you feed it.
- Keep new animals apart for a couple of weeks before they join the flock.
Start slowly
Do not give a full ration of a new feed on day one. Too much rich feed at once can cause bloat or a sour stomach, which can kill sheep and goats. Move to the new feed over a week, a little more each day: Switch to TMR feed over a week. Give the day's feed in two or three meals.
Water, shade and space
- Clean water always, and more in summer. An animal that drinks less eats less.
- Shade and a dry, clean shed. Wet floors bring foot problems.
- Do not crowd them. Weak animals get pushed away from the feed. Give enough trough space for all to eat at once.
Plan for the market
Many farmers fatten for festival markets such as Bakrid, Sankranti or Dasara, when prices are higher. Count back from the date: decide how many weeks of feeding you need, and buy feed in time.
What results can you expect?
On our own farm records, sheep and goats on TMR-E gained up to 6 kg in total. Results vary with the breed, age, fodder and care.
When to call the vet
An animal that stops eating, has a swollen belly, diarrhoea, a cough or a high temperature needs your vet, not more feed. Do not use weight-gain tonics or injections from unknown sellers.
Order TMR-E or find a shop near you on Where to Buy.
