How to determine the lack of vitamins in goats, from what time to give and doses
Goats are unpretentious animals and rarely get sick. The health of goats depends on many factors, including nutrition. Substances that enter the body of animals from feed affect the general condition, development, productivity, and the ability to produce healthy offspring. The value of vitamins for goats is enormous. They are found in common foods that are fed to these animals, but they can also be given as an additional supplement.
Vitamin requirements for domestic goats
In summer, the diet of goats is more complete than in winter, because they feed on fresh grass, tree branches, vegetables, fruits, root crops. In the cold season, they receive mainly hay, which contains not so many vitamins, as, indeed, in other products that are fed to pets at this time. During the stall period, goats do not move a lot, do not receive enough solar radiation, because of this, their health deteriorates, and immunity decreases.
Vitamins are needed by goats of any age, both young and adult animals, but pregnant and lactating females especially need them. Substances are spent on the development of the fetus, on the production of milk, as well as on maintaining the life of the mother.
Some vitamins are synthesized in the body of the animals themselves, while others must be constantly supplied with food. The same substances are important for goats as for humans. These are B vitamins, ascorbic acid, tocopherols, calciferol, retinol and others. They are needed for the normal course of all physiological processes, growth and development of the animal.
Sources of vitamins
The bulk of the vitamins enters the goat's body from feed, which is why it is important to choose a complete diet for them. They should receive green grass or good hay, fresh or dried branches, succulent feed, root vegetables, legumes, whole and sprouted grains, fish oil. But if animals begin to experience a lack of vitamins, they need to be added to the diet in addition: in the form of feed additives or injections.
It is very convenient to use vitamin or vitamin-mineral complexes specially designed for feeding small ruminants. The powder is added in certain quantities to the mash and fed to the animals. In most cases, this is enough to ensure that they are not deficient in these vital substances.
How to determine the lack of nutrients
It is possible to determine that an animal needs some kind of vitamin by external signs. Lack of vitamins belonging to group B is manifested by loss of appetite and weight loss due to metabolic disorders, increased excitability, spasms, and ataxia.
Vitamin D is necessary for strengthening bones, its lack leads to fragility and fragility of bone tissue, animals can often be injured. Tocopherol is important for the reproductive system, with a lack of it, goats may not come into the hunt, experience difficulties with fertilization, bearing kids, and milk secretion.
Lack of vitamin A in goats is manifested by a deterioration in the condition of the coat, dry skin, dermatitis, tearing, photophobia, sometimes cramps, muscle spasms. In pregnant females, abortions, the birth of dead kids, the retention of the placenta, in males - the formation of stones in the organs of the urinary system, the development of diseases of the gonads, and impaired spermagenesis can occur. Lack of vitamin PP is expressed in a decrease in appetite, indigestion, diarrhea, bad breath due to swelling of the mucous membranes, the formation of skin ulcers, and anemia.
Attention! You can understand that goats lack vitamins by their behavior - they begin to gnaw on wooden fences, coal, and embers.
How to give
To ensure a constant supply of vitamins to the body of goats, they can be given chalk, salt, bone meal, fish oil. They begin to be given to kids after weaning from the mother, to females - a month before mating, from the 2nd half of pregnancy and after lambing. The amount of the mixture depends on the weight of the animal and its age.
Vitamin supplements have a completely balanced composition, you can use Eleovit, Kalfostonik, Tetravit and others in the household. From them, animals receive all the vitamins and minerals they need in the required amount. Doses and how long the course of application should take are indicated in the instructions for use.
What is the threat of a lack of vitamins
If the vitamin deficiency continues for a long time, hypovitaminosis begins to develop. This condition has a negative effect on the body of animals, there is a disruption in the work of many organs and systems. The kids and youngsters lag behind in growth, weight gain decreases, the animals develop poorly, lose their appetite, the coat becomes dull.
Hypovitaminosis in adult females and males leads to reproductive disorders, problems with pregnancy, bearing and childbirth. All this leads to the fact that the cost of keeping goats increases, and this cannot be liked by any livestock breeder. Timely distribution of vitamin complexes will help prevent many problems.
Vitamin mixtures are stored for a long time in a dark, dry place; you can buy them in agricultural stores. They are packaged in packages of different sizes for use in households and farms.
Vitamins for goats are produced by the industry for feeding animals throughout the year, but especially in the autumn-winter period, when they have the greatest need for vitamin substances. The mixtures are convenient in that you do not need to specially select a diet taking into account the goats' need for a particular substance, calculate how much to give. It is enough to simply add a vitamin mixture to the feed to provide the animals with everything they need.
