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Te Kowhai dairy goat farmers Dennis and Bev Wood have seen improvements in both their kids and milking goats after adding Fiber Fresh feeds to their diets.
The majority of their kids are on track to meet their target weaning weight around three weeks earlier than normal.
The Woods started mixing FiberStart® with the brewer’s grain they feed their 290 milking goats earlier this year. They believe the HNF Fiber® in the FiberStart® has contributed to the overall good condition of their goats.
Dennis says, “We were looking for something to add to the brewer’s grain to give it a bit more body and protein. The big goats just lap it up and are in beautiful condition.”
The 120 kids the Woods are rearing are also thriving on Fiber Fresh.
Bev says her notoriously hard to please kids were being picky with another meal she was feeding them so the Fiber Fresh rep Chris Good gave them some FiberGain® to try – and they’ve been gobbling it ever since.
Bev says, “I was amazed! The kids just hoed into the FiberGain® and we didn’t need to coax them at all. They actually fought over it and cleaned up the whole lot in a very short time. From that day on they’ve never looked back. They really love it. I’ve always found it quite hard to get the kids to eat meal, but it’s much easier with FiberGain®, even from quite young. This is the best experience I’ve ever had of getting them onto meal of any kind and all I had to do was put it in front of them.”
The kids are now fed FiberGain® twice a day. They go through a bag and a half between them each day and Bev is sure they would eat a lot more if she let them. There is also no wastage, as the kids always eat the whole lot.
Bev says, “It’s excellent. The kids are mowing through the FiberGain® and they really look fantastic. They’re in great condition. They have heaps of energy, their coats are lovely, and their rear ends are nice and clean. It must be good for them because it’s natural and fresh.”
The greater palatability of the FiberGain® has encouraged the kids to eat more, which in turn has fast-tracked their growth. It also enabled the Woods to put the kids onto once-a- day milk feeds three weeks earlier than normal, which reduced their milk powder costs.
The kids are now looking like they will reach their 18-20kg weaning weight target at 9 weeks old rather than the normal 12.
The Woods are planning to continue feeding their goats FiberGain® all season.
Dennis says, “We have no hesitation in recommending Fiber Fresh to other goat farmers. It’s been really good for us.”
You can find out more about the “Freshstart®” programme by contacting your nearest Fiber Fresh Area Consultant on: Tel.0800 545 545, or visiting www.fiber-fresh.com
