Sprayfo’s recommended
goat feeding schedule

The following feeding, mixing and weaning instructions are for rearers feeding Sprayfo Primo Goat or Sprayfo Alpha lamb milk replacers.

Goat kids can be reared successfully on either Sprayfo Alpha Lamb or Sprayfo Primo Goat from Day 2.

Why feed Sprayfo Alpha Lamb to goats?

Very young goat kids may show signs of scouring when transitioning from colostrum to a whey milk replacer. Sprayfo Alpha Lamb is a casein-based milk replacer which can be used as a starter option for the first 14 days, before transitioning goat kids onto Sprayfo Primo Goat.

About Sprayfo Alpha >

Rearing Goat Kids Ad-lib on Automatic Feeding Machines

Mixing rate: Mix 200g Sprayfo milk replacer (Primo Goat or Alpha Lamb) per litre of water

Setting up the automatic feeder

Ensure that you always follow machine manufacturing instructions, particularly for:

Set up
Feeding capacity/numbers
Cleaning
Calibration*
Mixing temperature

Basic requirements for hand-rearing goat kids

Colostrum: Always ensure each animal has adequate intake of high-quality colostrum in first 12 hours post birth (approx. 10% of its body weight).
Dry matter: Introduce feed in the form of pellets or top-quality hay from 1-2 weeks. Pre-weaning, at 4-5 weeks, they should be eating a minimum of 250g DM per day.
Water: Make sure goat kids have access to clean drinking water in the pens, always.
Housing: goat kids need a warm, dry, draught-free space to thrive in.

Mixing Instructions for Ad-lib Feeding Machines

Set the machine to 220g/L to get the desired 200g/L feeding rate. The reason for this is because of the way that a machine dispenses the powder, as it mixes with water, means a machine set at 200g/L mixes closer to 180g/L.

NOTE: Over-mixing can be identified when Sprayfo milk replacers separate or froth. This can cause an issue through some semi-automatic feeding systems, ie the Heatwave.

Rearing Goat Kids on a Restricted Feeding System

Here’s a recommended goat kid feeding schedule using either Sprayfo Alpha Lamb or Sprayfo Primo Goat milk replacers.

Mixing Instructions for Restricted Feeding of Goat Kids

Always follow feeding instructions
Heat all required water to 40-42°C
Start stirring water, then slowly add milk replacer powder, mixing for approx. 2 minutes^
Best drinking temperature 38-39°C

^ Mix to make up a litre, NOT on top of a litre, eg. add 150g milk powder to 850mL water to make 1L milk replacer. Sprayfo mixes very easily, take care not to overmix or the product will separate.

Rearing Goat kids on a Starter-Finisher System with Sprayfo

Many goat kid rearers have had good success feeeding Sprayfo Alpha (a casein-based powder) as a starter and finishing the goat kids on Sprayfo Primo whey-based milk replacer. Because these two products are manufactured the same way, switching between the products is straight forward.

Suggested feeding schedule:

Start goat kids with Sprayfo Alpha for the first 2 weeks post-colostrum – giving them a strong start.

In week 3, switch the goat kids onto Sprayfo Primo Goat (whey) milk replacer - to encourage rumen development.

The benefits to doing this are:

reduced risk of nutritional scours in very young goat kids (common during the colostrum to milk replacer transition)
switching to Sprayfo Primo Goat kid from week 3 will encourage early rumen development
easier weaning transition