Forage feeding practices in goat farming: developing strategies for labor efficiency and animal performance

Abstract

The management of forage feeding in goat farming is a key issue, influencing both animal performance and farmers' work organisation. This article, which summarises the findings of the MaxForGoat project, compares farmers' practices and current recommendations with the results of experimental trials aimed at quantifying the impact of forage feeding strategies on intake and milk production in dairy goats. The project adopts a combined approach, including surveys and focus groups with farmers and advisers, alongside experimental trials. The study examines the effects of forage feeding frequency (if one forage fed per day), feeding order (if two forages fed per day), and refusal rate. On the contrary to a widely held belief, feeding frequency had no significant impact on total intake or milk production. However, refusal rate influenced diet quality, as commonly acknowledged in practice, but with effects depending on forage type. Feeding order could also modify diet composition, but its impact depended on differences in palatability and nutritional composition between the two forages fed. The study highlights the goats' ability to adapt and adjust their feeding behaviour based on feeding timing as well as their dietary preferences. It would be unrealistic to force goats to consume an unpalatable forage if a more palatable one was offered later during the day. They seem nonetheless able to adapt their behaviour to follow a feeding rhythm in line with the farmer’s constraints.