Feed Intake by Angora Goats

(Non-lactating, Not in Late Pregnancy)

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Use this Feed Intake Calculator to calculate the daily feed intake for Angora goats. Enter the data into the table and then click the Calculate Feed Intake button. The results will be displayed in the table at the bottom of the page.

Example

We will use a 35-kg Angora doe with 25 g tissue gain and producing 5, 10, or 15 g/day of clean mohair fiber consuming a diet containing 12% crude protein (CP) and 9 MJ/kg dry matter (DM) of metabolizable energy (ME).

1. Enter body weight (kg)
2. Enter tissue (non-fiber) gain (g/day)
3. Enter clean mohair fiber gain (g/day)
4. Enter dietary CP concentration (% of DM)
5.
Enter dietary ME concentration (MJ/kg DM)
or
You can use the TDN calculator below and the ME concentration will be entered automatically.
6. Enter % DM in diet (default is 90%)
To convert from English to metric system, enter your values here.
They will be automatically entered into the table to the left.
BW (lbs)
Tissue gain (lbs/day)
Clean mohair fiber gain
(lbs/day)

    

To estimate the dietary ME concentration, often feed tags list the Total Digestible Nutrient (TDN) concentration. Likewise, most commercial feed laboratories estimate the TDN concentration based on various analyses, such as for CP and fiber fractions.

The ME concentration can be calculated with these simple formulas:
ME (MJ/kg) = TDN (%) × 0.15104 and
ME (Mcal/kg) = TDN (%) × 0.0361.
Enter TDN (%)
 ME (MJ/kg)
 ME (Mcal/kg)

The approach used to develop predictions of voluntary DM intake by goats was based on an assumption of constant overall efficiency of utilization of ME. Therefore, ME requirements from another study of this project were employed, along with assumptions of efficiencies of ME utilization. In accordance, inputs necessary to predict intake entail factors influencing the partitioning of energy for use in various physiological functions, including production levels. Although this calculator will predict feed intake with negative tissue gain and use mobilized tissue energy to support mohair fiber growth, the majority of observations in the database used to develop the prediction equations had positive tissue gain or values only slightly less than zero. Hence, caution should be employed when predicting intake with substantial tissue loss. It is also important to note that input of an unreasonably high level of production given the characteristics of the animal and nature of the diet will result in a comparable unlikely estimate of feed intake.

Data on which this calculator is based were from goats in pens or stalls, not in late gestation or lactation, and not experiencing appreciable compensatory growth or effects of acclimatization. Correspondingly, adjustments of the maintenance ME requirements available in other calculators are not employed here. Therefore, caution should be exercised if using this calculator to predict feed intake in early lactation or to determine if an estimate of feed intake based on a ME requirement calculator with the maintenance requirement being substantially affected by adjustments is likely or not. However, some adjustments can be used with the Option B Calculator "Feed Intake with Adjustments of the Maintenance Energy Requirement - Angora Goats."

Examples of predictions of voluntary DM intake for a 35-kg Angora doe consuming a diet containing 9 MJ/kg DM of ME and 12% CP, gaining 25 g/day of non-fiber tissue, and producing 5, 10, and 15 g/day of clean mohair fiber are 0.96, 0.98, and 1.00 kg/day, respectively.

Predicted ME intake (MJ):
Predicted DM intake (kg):
Predicted DM intake (% BW):
Predicted as fed intake (kg):
Predicted as fed intake (% body weight):

The source used in this calculation method is:

Luo, J., A. L. Goetsch, I. V. Nsahlai, J. E. Moore, M. L. Galyean, Z. B. Johnson, T. Sahlu, C. L. Ferrell, and F. N. Owens. 2004. Voluntary feed intake by lactating, Angora, growing and mature goats. Small Ruminant Research 53:357-378.