How to Feed Yeast to Goats

For many goat owners, yeast means more than making bread -- it means healthier goats with fewer digestive problems. Commonly called a yeast culture, the specialty yeast product appropriate for feeding to goats consists of dried yeast blended in powder form with the substances, such as corn meal, malted barley and molasses, on which it was grown. Fed orally, this yeast culture may promote growth in the helpful digestive bacteria naturally present in your goats' rumens. Potential benefits of feeding yeast to goats include increased milk production in lactating goats, better appetites and improved fiber digestion.

Things You'll Need

  • Powdered yeast culture feed supplement
  • Feed buckets
  • Grain ration
  • Plastic sandwich bag
  • Handheld or tabletop scale that measures in ounces
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Instructions

    • 1

      Identify the goats in your herd that seem to be most likely to benefit from supplemental yeast feeding. Focus on animals undergoing dietary changes since supplemental yeast feeding seems to be particularly helpful for goats that may be stressed from shifts in their diets, says Dr. David Pugh, board-certified veterinarian and author of "Sheep and Goat Medicine." Likely candidates include kids you plan to wean, fast-growing show goats, does that have just given birth or are in the middle of a milking lactation, and bucks or does you've just recently let out to pasture in the spring.

    • 2

      Pour each goat's grain ration into a separate feed bucket. Keep the feed buckets out of reach of the goats.

    • 3

      Measure out the proper amount of yeast culture for each goat, which varies depending upon the age of each goat and the brand of yeast culture you use. Check the directions on your package of yeast culture for exact dosages; in general, most yeast cultures call for 1/3 oz. to 1/2 oz. of powdered yeast culture for adult goats, and 1/4 oz. of yeast culture for kid goats under the age of one year. Pour the yeast culture into a plastic sandwich bag and weigh it on a handheld or tabletop scale for the most accurate dosages.

    • 4

      Sprinkle the first pre-measured dose of yeast culture powder across the top of the desired bucket. Top-dress each bucket of goat grain in the same way. Feed the goats one at a time, preferably in a separate pen to ensure that the other goats don't steal the top-dressed grain. Stay with each goat until it has completely finished eating all of the grain, which typically won't take long since most goats find the yeast culture powder to be quite palatable.

    • 5

      Feed the goats the supplemental yeast powder once daily indefinitely or until each goat has successfully transitioned to its new diet. Keep lactating goats on the yeast supplement until they've stopped producing milk or are pregnant.