Ruminants

Goats, sheep and cattle are all ruminants. They have complex digestive systems with several compartments; the first and largest is called the rumen. Ruminants eat relatively large amounts of coarse feed, such as hay and grass, which is broken down in the rumen by a large and diverse population of microbes including bacteria, fungi, protozoa and yeasts. The microbes play another essential role for their animal hosts – they synthesize B-vitamins and the amino acids required by the animal. The critical role of the rumen’s microbial life should be kept in mind when feeding ruminant livestock. Remember that you are not only feeding the animal, you are also feeding the microbial community in the rumen, a population that is very sensitive to sudden changes in feed.

For proper functioning of the rumen and good overall health of the animal, forage should make up the bulk of the diet. By weight, grain should not be more than 60% of the dry matter consumed each day and usually should be much less than this. Beef cattle, sheep and meat goats require little grain. For much of the year, they can subsist without grain, provided that they are either grazing on a well-managed pasture or being fed good hay. At all times, ruminants need access to trace mineral salt and minerals, and may benefit from access to kelp.  

With ruminants, grain is used primarily for:

• Young animals. To increase the growth rates of young animals, grain is fed in a creep feeder, an area where feed is provided at all times for the young animal. The lambs, calves or kids can enter and leave the creep throughout the day, but the doors or openings are too small for adults to enter.
• Breeding season. Males need grain a few weeks before breeding to get them into shape. The grain should be continued throughout the breeding season when the males are expending large amounts of energy and not eating much. Afterwards, the grain should be continued until the bucks, rams or bulls have regained the weight they lost during breeding. If multiple births are desired, grain is fed to ewes, does or cows for a couple of weeks before and after breeding. This practice, called flushing, increases the ovulation rates (number of eggs released per cycle).
• Late gestation. It is difficult for heavily pregnant animals to get enough nourishment from just hay or pasture. The feed quality in late gestation is critical for healthy young, and for the female to have an easy labour, a good milk supply and good health afterwards. Ewes, does and cows expecting multiple births usually need grain, in addition to high quality hay.
• Lactation. The protein and energy of grain is used to make milk for milking animals and for females nursing young.
• Rebuilding. Grain is used to improve the condition of animals after difficult times (e.g. harsh winter, after raising triplets), and to help compensate for over-grazed pastures and poor hay.