This document discusses the nutrient requirements of sheep and goats. It begins by describing the ruminant digestive system and how it processes different types of feeds. It then discusses the five essential nutrients required by sheep and goats: water, energy, protein, minerals, and vitamins. For each nutrient, it provides details on sources, requirements, and factors that can affect requirements. The document emphasizes that nutrient requirements vary based on species, size, stage of production, production level, and other environmental factors. It concludes with steps for balancing rations to meet animal nutrient needs.

1. Nutrient
requirements of
sheep and goats
Susan Schoenian  Sheep & Goat Specialist  sschoen@umd.edu

2. Ruminant digestive system

3. The rumen can be “fed” different feeds, but it is
very sensitive to drastic changes in the diet.
CONCENTRATE – GRAIN - STARCH
▪ Greater numbers and proportion of
microbes that digest sugar and starch.
▪ Insensitive to acidity
Lower pH (more acidic)
Risk of acidosis
▪ Produce more propionic and butyric acid
More efficient energy source
▪ Quicker passage through digestive tract.
FORAGE – FIBER - CELLULOSE
▪ Greater numbers and proportion
microbes that digest cellulose.
▪ Higher pH (normal range)
▪ Produce mainly acetic acid.
Necessary for production of milk fat.
More methane (byproduct) produced.
▪ Lower rate of passage.

4. Do sheep and goats have a dietary
requirement for fiber?
▪ Fiber is the primary energy source for sheep
and goats via rumen microbial
fermentation.
▪ Research supports the inclusion of effective
fiber (long forage) in beef and dairy cattle
diets.
▪ Sheep have successfully been fed soy hull
(ewes) or whole grain (lambs) diets without
effective fiber.
▪ What about goats? In most studies, hay has
been included in diets as a “scratch” factor.

5. Sheep and goats require five essential nutrients.
1. Water
2. Energy
3. Protein
4. Minerals
5. Vitamins

6. Water is the most important nutrient.
▪ Sheep and goats are able to obtain most
of their water from forage consumption.
▪ Sheep/goats drink less water than
other species, but require better
quality (cleaner) water.
▪ Water quality can be impaired by
contaminants, such as salt, excess
nutrients, or bacteria.
▪ Water should be shaded in summer and
warm in winter, to encourage intake.

7. Water requirements vary by animal.
Class
Daily consumption
gallons per day
Young lamb 0.1 to 0.3
Feeder lamb 1.0 to 1.5
Gestation 1.0 to 2.0
Lactation 2 to 3
Ram 1 to 2
1 gallon per 4 lbs. of DM consumed.
1 quart of water for every pint of milk produced.

8. Energy is usually the most limiting nutrient
in sheep and goat diets.
▪ Most feedstuffs provide energy.
▪ Energy comes mostly from carbohydrates, but also
fats and protein.
▪ Best sources of energy are fat, oils, and grains.
▪ Excess energy is stored as fat.
▪ Energy is expressed in many ways in animal
nutrition: TDN, ME, and NE.
▪ TDN (total digestible nutrients) is most commonly
used to balance small ruminant rations.

9. Gross energy
in feed
100%
TDN
Digestible
energy (70%)
Loss in feces
(30%)
ME
Metabolizable
Energy (60%)
Loss in urine (5%)
and in gas (5%)
NE
Net energy
(40%)
Losses as heat (20%)
1. Fermentation
2. Nutrient metabolism
NEM
Maintenance (20%)
Production (20%)
Nutrient partitioning

10. Pregnancy toxemia
Twin lamb disease, lambing paralysis, ketosis
▪ One of the most common metabolic
disorders in sheep and goats.
▪ Caused by a deficiency of energy in
the late gestation diet.
▪ Females that are fat, thin, old, or
timid – and carrying multiple fetuses
are most prone.
▪ Is common to feed grain to meet
increased energy requirements in late
gestation.

11. Protein is a more expensive nutrient.
▪ Most feedstuffs provide protein.
▪ Amount is more critical than quality.
▪ Best sources are oilseed meals and
legumes.
▪ Need decreases as animal ages.
▪ Excess protein is converted to energy.
▪ By-pass protein is not degraded in rumen. It
by-passes rumen and is mainly digested in
the small intestine.
▪ Protein is expressed many ways in animal
nutrition. CP or crude protein is usually used
to balance rations for sheep and goats.

12. Minerals: two kinds
MACRO
▪ Sodium (Na)
▪ Chloride (Cl)
▪ Calcium (Ca)
▪ Phosphorus (P)
▪ Magnesium (Mg)
▪ Potassium (K)
▪ Sulfur (S)
MICRO OR TRACE
▪ Cobalt (Co)
▪ Copper (Cu)*
▪ Fluoride (Fl)
▪ Iodine (I)
▪ Iron (Fe)
▪ Manganese (Mn)
▪ Molybdenum (Mo)
▪ Selenium (Se)*
▪ Zinc (Z)
Salt

13. Salt – Sodium Chloride - NaCl
▪ Required in relatively large amounts compared to
other minerals.
▪ Requirements vary.
▪ Only mineral for which livestock have “nutritional
wisdom.”
▪ Salt deprivation may cause animals to eat things
they ordinarily wouldn’t (pica).
▪ Salt can be used to regulate intake of other
nutrients
▪ Salt can be used as a carrier for other nutrients

14. Calcium and phosphorus
▪ Improper ratio of calcium to phosphorus can
result in urinary calculi in male animals.
▪ Calcium to phosphorus ratio should be at least
2:1 in rations for male animals.
▪ Low blood calcium causes milk fever in does and
ewes.
▪ In doe, calcium requirements peak in lactation.
▪ In ewe calcium requirements peak in late
gestation.
▪ Calcium is one of the least expensive nutrients,
while phosphorus is one of the most expensive.

15. COPPER (Cu)
▪ Copper metabolism is very
complicated.
▪ Many antagonists: molybdenum,
sulfur, zinc, and calcium.
▪ Different rates of absorption.
▪ Sheep are sensitive to too much
copper in diet.
▪ Goats have higher requirements for
copper and are less prone to toxicity.
SELENIUM (Se)
▪ Maryland soils: deficient in Se [?]
▪ White muscle disease occurs in
lambs/kids born to selenium deficient
dams.
▪ Sub-clinical deficiencies of selenium
are not easily determined.
▪ Oral administration of selenium is
recommended over injections.
▪ Narrow margin between Se toxicity
and deficiency.
Concentration of minerals in liver can be used to determine mineral status in animals.

16. Vitamins: two kinds
WATER SOLUBLE
▪ C - synthesized in tissues
▪ B complex
▪ Thiamine (B1)
▪ B12
▪ Others
FAT SOLUBLE
▪ A
▪ D
▪ E
▪ K
Synthesized
in rumen
Usually no
dietary
requirement
Usually adequate in diets containing
high quality forage.
Sometimes, supplementation required.
Synthesized
in rumen

17. Polioencephalomalacia (polio, PEM)
Thiamine – Vitamin B1 deficiency
▪ Caused by change in rumen environment:
too much grain in the diet.
▪ Over-use of Corid (amprolium: a thiamine
inhibitor) to treat coccidiosis.
▪ Consuming some species of ferns
▪ Causes neurological symptoms: star gazing
and blindness, similar to listeriosis
▪ Treat with thiamine (Rx) or fortified B
complex.

18. Many factors affect nutrient requirements
of sheep and goats.
▪ Species
▪ Genetics
▪ Size (weight)
▪ Stage or production
▪ Level of production or
performance

19. Nutrient requirements vary by species and genetics
Source: Nutrient requirements of small ruminants, 2007
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
2.00
Mature ewe Meat doe Dairy doe Angora doe
+
fiber
growth
Energy (TDN) requirements, lbs./day, for a 132 lb. female (maintenance)
1.75% 1.90%
2.25% 2.6-2.7%

20. Nutrient requirements vary by species and genetics
Source: Nutrient requirements of small ruminants, 2007
0.70
0.90
1.10
1.30
1.50
1.70
Boer Local Dairy Late maturing
lamb
Early Maturing
lamb
Energy (TDN) requirements (lbs/day) for a 44-lb. intact male gaining 0.44 lbs. per day

21. Nutrient requirements vary by size (weight)
0.80
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
110-lb 154-lb 198-lb
Energy requirements, lb. TDN/day
Mature ewe, maintenance
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
88-lb 132-lb 154-lb
Energy requirements, lb. TDN/day
Mature non-dairy doe, maintenance
Source: Nutrient requirements of small ruminants, 2007
2.1%
1.9%
1.83%
1.83%
1.68%
1.58%

22. Energy requirements vary by stage of production
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
2.00
2.20
2.40
Maintenance Breeding Early gestation Late gestation Lactation
Energy requirements, lb. TDN/day 132-lb. for a mature non-dairy doe (twins)
Source: Nutrient requirements of small ruminants, 2007

23. Energy requirements vary by stage of production
Source: Nutrient requirements of small ruminants, 2007
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
Maintenance Breeding Early gestation Late gestation Lactation
Energy requirements, lbs. TDN/day for a 176-lb. mature ewe (twins)

24. Protein requirements vary by stage of
production
0.10
0.20
0.30
0.40
0.50
0.60
0.70
0.80
Maintenance Breeding Early
gestation
Late
gestation
Lactation
Protein requirements, lb/day
176-lb. mature ewe (twins)
0.10
0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30
0.35
0.40
0.45
0.50
Maintenance Breeding Early
gestation
Late
gestation
Lactation
Protein requirements, lb/day
132-lb. non-dairy doe (twins)
Source: Nutrient requirements of small ruminants, 2007

25. Mineral requirements vary by stage of production
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
10.0
Maintenance Breeding Early gestation Late gestation Early lactation
Mineral requirements, g/d
176-lb. mature ewe (twins)
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
10.0
Maintenance Breeding Early gestation Late gestation Early lactation
Mineral requirements, g/d
132-lb non-dairy doe (twins)
Calcium
Phosphorus
Source: Nutrient requirements of small ruminants, 2007

26. Nutrient requirements vary by level of production.
1.60
1.70
1.80
1.90
2.00
2.10
2.20
2.30
2.40
Single Twins Triplets
Energy requirements, lb. TDN/day
132-doe, late gestation
1.60
1.80
2.00
2.20
2.40
2.60
2.80
3.00
3.20
3.40
Single Twins Triplets
Energy requirements, lb. TDN/d
176-lb. mature ewe, late gestation
Source: Nutrient requirements of small ruminants, 2007

27. Nutrient requirements vary by performance level, e.g. ADG.
0.50
0.70
0.90
1.10
1.30
1.50
1.70
No gain 0.11 0.22 0.33 0.44 0.55
Energy requirements, lb. TDN/d
44-lb. intact Boer buckling
0.75
1.25
1.75
2.25
2.75
3.25
0.44 0.55 0.66 0.88
Energy requirements, lb. TDN/d
66-lb. ram lamb, 4 mos. early maturing
Source: Nutrient requirements of small ruminants, 2007

28. What else can affect nutritional requirements?
▪ Heat and cold extremes
Nutrient requirements are based on thermoneutral zone
Critical temperature varies by coat condition, body
condition, wind, rainfall, and humidity.
▪ Activity
Nutrient requirements are based on pen feeding.
▪ Parasitism, including sub-clinical
Nutrient requirements are for confined animals.
Greater effect on protein than energy requirements.
▪ Adjustment in feed intake
Animals eat more in cold weather and less in hot
weather.

29. Dry matter (DM) is an important concept in
animal nutrition.
▪ Dry matter is what remains after water
has been extracted out of a feed.
▪ Feed stuffs vary in the amount of dry
matter they contain.
▪ Dry matter is an indicator of the amount
of nutrients in the feed.
▪ Livestock need to consume a certain
amount of dry matter per day.
▪ In small ruminants, dry matter intake
(DMI) varies from ~1.5 to 6 percent and is
affected by many factors.
Feedstuff % DM
Hay 88 – 90
Grain 88 – 90
Fresh grass 24 – 29
Fresh clover 19 – 24
Corn silage 34 – 44
Grass silage 30 –40
Pumpkins 10
Soybean meal 91
Straw 90 – 91

30. Where to find nutrient requirements of sheep
and goats
▪ Nutrient requirements of Small Ruminants (2007)
National Academies Press ($129)
www.nap.edu
▪ Sheep Production Handbook and CD-ROM (2015)
Request new producer tool kit from angela@sheepusa.org
▪ University of Maryland Extension
Dairy Goat, Meat Goat, and Sheep Ration Evaluators (FREE)
https://www.sheepandgoat.com/spreadsheets
▪ Langston University Nutrient Requirements (goats)
http://www2.luresext.edu/goats/research/nutreqgoats.html
▪ Old NRC requirements (1981, goats; 1985, sheep)
http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0812/ANR-0812.pdf
http://animalrange.montana.edu/documents/courses/ANSC320/NutrientRequirementsSheep.pdf (sheep)
https://blogs.cornell.edu/newsheep/files/2015/09/NRC-Sheep-1985-1m52js8.pdf (sheep)

31. Ration balancing
1. Describe animals you are feeding
2. Determine their nutrient
requirements
3. Determine what feedstuffs are
available
4. List composition of feedstuffs
5. Match feedstuffs to nutrient
requirements of animals

32. Step 1
Describe the animals you are feeding
▪ Mature ewe
▪ ~150 lbs.
▪ Lactation
▪ Twin lambs
▪ In the barn, with
access to pasture

33. Step 2: Determine nutrient requirements
TDN, lb CP, lb Ca, lb P, lb
2.88 0.642 0.0174 0.0152

34. Step 3
Determine what feedstuffs you have available
▪ We have the following feedstuffs available.
Barley grain Protein pellet Orchard grass hay

35. Step 4
List composition of feedstuffs
Feedstuff % DM % TDN % CP % Ca % P $/cwt
Barley grain 89 84 12 0.06 0.38 $8.00
Orchard grass hay 88 59 10 0.32 0.30 $12.00
Protein pellet 89 72 38 1.60 0.95 $20.00

36. Step 5
Balance ration by matching the animal’s
nutrient requirements to the feedstuffs
▪ The easiest way to balance a ration is to start with the forage (usually hay). Determine
how much hay you are feeding or how much hay they are consuming (if the hay is fed
free choice). Be sure to factor in waste, as there can be considerable waste when
feeding hay, particularly lower quality hays.
▪ Let's say you are feeding (they are eating) 4 lbs. of hay per day. Assume a 10% feeding loss.
▪ 4.0 lbs. fed - 10% loss = 3.6 lbs. of hay being consumed by an individual sheep
You have to convert it to dry matter intake (DMI) in order to do further calculations.
3.6 lbs. fed x 0.88 (% DM) = 3.2 lbs. of DM

37. Step 5 continued
▪ Determine how much nutrients the 3.2 lbs. of hay is providing.
Lbs. DM % nutrient Lbs. supplied
Energy 3.2 59 1.89
Protein 3.2 10 0.32
Calcium 3.2 0.32 0.0102
Phosphorus 3.2 0.30 0.0096

38. Step 5 continued
▪ Start with the most limiting nutrient: energy (TDN)
TDN Amount
Lbs. provided 1.89
Lbs. required 2.88
Deficiency 0.99
▪ Feed grain to meet the energy (TDN) requirements
0.99 ÷ 0.84 (% TDN in barley) = 1.2 lbs.
Convert to AS-FED basis to know how much to feed.
1.2 ÷ 0.89 = 1.35 lbs. TDN, lb CP, lb Ca, lb P, lb
2.88 0.642 0.0174 0.0152
Requirements

39. Step 5 continued
▪ Now you need to know how much protein the grain ration needs to provide.
▪ 0.32 (deficiency) ÷ 1.2 (pounds of grain) = 26%
Protein Amount
Lbs. provided 0.32
Lbs. required 0.64
Deficiency 0.32
TDN, lb CP, lb Ca, lb P, lb
2.88 0.642 0.0174 0.0152
Requirements

40. Step 5 continued
▪ Use Pearson Square to balance concentrate ration for protein.
Barley – 12
Protein supplement - 38
12 ÷ 26 = 46% barley
14 ÷ 26 = 54% supplement
26
26
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=B4A.PearsonSquare
http://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/livestk/01618.pdf

41. Step 5 continued
▪ Determine if ration meets calcium and phosphorus requirements
Feed DM Ca P
OG Hay 3.2 0.0102 0.0096
Barley 0.55 0.0003 0.0021
Supplement 0.65 0.0104 0.0062
TOTAL 4.4 0.0209 0.0179
Required 0.0174 0.0152
% provided 120% 118% 

42. Balanced ration
▪ 4 lbs. of hay (10% waste)
▪ 1.35 lbs. of concentrate (0.62 lbs. barley + 0.73 lbs. protein pellet)
4 lbs.
(10% waste)
+
1.35 lbs.
0.62 lbs. 0.73 lbs.

43. Options for balancing rations
1. By hand (math), including Pearson’s Square
http://www.sheep101.info/201/balanceration.html
2. Spreadsheets
https://www.sheepandgoat.com/spreadsheets
3. Online programs (free)
http://www2.luresext.edu/goats/research/nutritionmodule1.htm (goats)
https://msusheepration.montana.edu/ (sheep)
4. Software ($)
https://store.extension.iastate.edu/Topic/Livestock/Sheep
https://www.sheepandgoat.com/rationsoftware

44. Langston University Nutrient Calculator

45. Montana State University
MSU Sheep Ration Program
Uses 1985 nutritional requirements

46. University of Maryland Ration Evaluators

47. Body condition scoring
▪ A subjective way to evaluate
the nutritional status of a
flock or herd.
▪ It is a subjective measure of
the body fatness of muscle
cover of an animal.
▪ Is rated on a scale of 1-5, with
1 being emaciated, 3 being
average, and 5 being obese.
Half score are utilized.

48. Thank you.
Comments.
Questions?
SUSAN SCHOENIAN
Sheep & Goat Specialist
sschoen@umd.edu
www.sheepandgoat.com
www.sheep101.info
www.wormx.info