Post by Farmer Nestor on Apr 17, 2010 17:00:00 GMT -8
Nutrients Required by Goats
At OGF we formulated 3 different concentrates, mainly to address the required vitamins and minerals needed by non pregnant does, buck, lactating does, and for our newly weaned kids.
Nutrients are chemical feed constituents that nourish and support animal life. The nutrients important to goats are water, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins.
WATER
This is one of the most essential nutrients being a constituent of all tissues and organs of animals and plants.
CARBOHYDRATES
These substances constitute the principal source of calories or energy in the form of starch, hemicellulose, and cellulose in the ration of the goats.
PROTEIN
Protein provides amino acids, which are essential for the building and repair of animal tissues such as muscle, organs, hooves, hair etc.
FAT
Fats provide more energy than carbohydrates and proteins. Fats acts as a solvent for fat soluble vitamins. At least three fatty acids – linoleic, linolenic, and arachidonic are found to be essential in the animal body.
MINERALS
These are inorganic elements essential for animal life and health.
Minerals maybe divided into two groups:
Macro minerals required in relatively larger in the ration, are calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chlorine, magnesium, potassium, and sulphur.
Micro-minerals required only in trace amounts in the ration and present only in minute amounts in animal body, are iron, copper, cobalt, manganese, iodine, zinc, selenium, and molybdenum.
VITAMINS
These are complex organic compounds required in the rations in minute amounts but extremely essential to animal life, health, and production. Vitamins are divided into two groups:
Fat Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin A, D, E and K
Water Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin B complex including Thiamine (Vitamin B1), rivoflavin (Vitamin B2) niacin, panthothenic acid, biotin, folic acid, cobalamin(Vitamin B12), Vitamin B6, niacin and Pyridixine, and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) inositol and choline.