Classification of Common Feed Ingredients for Goats

There are four types of goat feeds:

1. Roughage. These are feeds containing relatively large amounts of fiber that provide bulk to fill-up the rumen. This
group of feeds includes freshly cut grasses and legumes, hay, silages fodder and other green herbages.

2. Concentrates. These are feeds with high digestibility. They are relatively low in fiber and include all grains and many
by-products of grains and animals, such as rice bran, ground corn, soybean oil meal, copra meal, bone meal, and
molasses.

3. Mineral Supplements. These supplements provide the goat with skeletal support. Salt, oyster shell, limestone and
wood ash are examples of mineral supplements.

4. Vitamin Supplement. These are organic compounds needed to maintain vigor, health and productivity, such as
Vitamins A, B, and C.

Commonly Used Ingredients for Goat Concentrates

The following are locally available concentrate ingredients for goats:

1. Corn. This is the second commonly used ingredient in formulating concentrate mixture. It contains about 8.9% crude
protein and a high amount of energy (Total Digestible Energy) that makes it an ideal feed for fattening.

2. Rice bran. It is a by-product of rice milling that contains an average crude protein of 10-12%. Locally available rice bran
is classified as first class (D1), second class (D2), and third class (D3). Like corn, it is also a good source of energy for
fattening animals.

3. Sorghum. This is very similar to corn in feed value with crude protein content ranging from 5-9%. It makes, therefore,
a very good livestock feed and substitute for corn because its price is lower than corn.

4. Copra meal. It is a by-product of copra production. This is what is left of the coconut meat after the oil has been
removed or extracted. It contains an adequate amount of carbohydrates but it is used mainly as protein supplement due
to its high crude protein (20-22%).

5. Soybean oil meal. This by-product feed is produced after extracting oil from soybean seeds. It contains about 44%
crude protein with very high feeding value.

6. Molasses. These are practically all carbohydrates with only three percent (3%) crude protein. It is a by-product of
sugar milling and is sold in dark and semi-liquid (thick) state.

7. Ipil-ipil Leaf Meal. This protein supplement is produced after flesh leaves of ipil-ipil has undergone drying and
grinding. Its crude protein content is about 19-21%.