Alfalfa for Sheep and Goats
Feeding Sheep and Goats
Sheep and goats, together with cattle, are among the most widespread livestock species worldwide. Their economic value and wide geographical distribution are mainly due to their remarkable adaptability to various soil and climate conditions, their hardiness, their ability to feed on low-nutritional-value forage, their docile temperament, and their modest size.
Sheep are among the oldest domesticated animals. Since around 8000 BC, they have provided humans with milk, meat, and wool. Fossil evidence found in the Middle East suggests their domestication began in regions like Tibet, Iran, and Iraq, from where the species gradually spread across the globe.
In Italy, sheep and goat farming has diversified over the centuries in response to environmental conditions and local territorial features. Two main farming systems are typically used: the sedentary system and the transhumant system.
Raising Sheep and Goats Indoors or on Pasture
The sedentary or stable-based system is the most common in central and southern Italy, while the transhumant system—moving animals seasonally between lowlands and mountain pastures—has historically been the most widespread in southern and insular Italy, as well as in parts of the Alpine region.
Sheep and goats usually graze on lowland pastures from October to May and then move between May and June to mountain grazing lands, where they remain until September. This form of farming relies heavily on natural pasture as the primary food source, with shepherds following the seasonal availability of fresh grass.
Sheep and Goats: Specialized Breeds and Growth
In recent decades, the introduction of highly specialized dairy breeds—especially from abroad, such as Lacaune and Assaf for sheep and Saanen for goats—has led to the growing adoption of intensive farming systems. These breeds have higher nutritional needs and are often raised in systems that resemble, in some aspects, intensive dairy cow farming.
Such systems often involve feeding lambs and kids with reconstituted milk and starter feeds after the colostrum phase. In contrast, traditional transhumant systems allow for longer suckling periods and extended maternal care.
Feeding Sheep and Goats
Regarding nutritional management, the unifeed system is increasingly being used for these species. It involves providing a single, balanced, and complete daily feed ration calculated based on the animal’s developmental stage and nutritional needs.
Among all required nutrients, structural carbohydrates—the fibrous fractions of forage—play a key role in the diet of dairy sheep and goats. As members of the ruminant suborder, these animals obtain a significant share of their metabolizable energy from the ruminal fermentation of fiber and benefit from microbial protein produced by ruminal bacteria.
Microbial protein and volatile fatty acids (VFAs), which are the result of ruminal fermentation, represent the two most important nutritional sources for these small ruminants.
It is therefore clear that the main goal in feeding sheep and goats is to provide a constant and well-balanced diet over time, rich in high-quality fibrous ingredients, in order to maximize bacterial growth in the rumen—thus ensuring the highest possible supply of microbial protein and VFAs as energy sources.
