Feeding Management of Backyard Goats in Northern Mindanao, Philippines

A survey was conducted to assess the feeding management of goats among backyard raisers in Northern Mindanao, Philippines. There were 34 backyard goat raisers included in the survey taking into account the production systems employed, the kind of feed materials provided/are available for their goats and the usual supplementation practices. From the 34 farmers, 13 or 38.23 % practiced rapid rotational tethering (RRT) while 10 (29.41 %) maintained free grazing (FG). Accordingly, some realized the need and the benefit to shift to partial (17.65 %) and complete confinement (5.82 %). The shift is due mainly to the limited grazing area and the better growth performance when animals are confined. However, backyard goats in the region (Northern Mindanao) are still characterized by the low dam and kid performance with high pre-weaning mortalities. Supplementation is practiced whenever supplemental feed is available. The abundance of forages is noted during the wet season but the sustainability of supply during dry season remains a problem. Nutrient deficiency is perceived throughout the year due to low digestibility of forages even during the rainy season and to the limited forage during the dry season. The condition will worsen if dry spell extends into drought. Supplementary feeding is necessary.