How Much Does a Goat Eat Per Day?

Unlike a flat “X kg a day” figure, how much a goat eats scales directly with how big that goat is — a genuinely useful distinction, since backyard goats range from small pygmy-type animals to large dairy or meat breeds several times heavier.

About 3.75% of bodyweight per day, in dry matter

Goats consume roughly 3.5–4% of their bodyweight per day in dry matter; we use the midpoint, 3.75%. That's the figure our feed cost calculator uses, replacing an earlier flat estimate that ignored bodyweight entirely.

These are illustrative weights to show how the ratio scales, not breed-specific figures — enter your own goat's actual weight in the calculator rather than reading a weight band off this table.

Total dry matter, not one component of the diet

This figure is total dry matter intake — the forage a goat browses or is fed (hay, pasture, browse) plus any concentrate feed, combined. We haven't found a sourced split between forage and concentrate specifically for backyard-kept goats, so the figure covers the whole diet rather than breaking out how much of it should be one or the other.

Why weight-based matters more for goats than some species

Goat breeds span an unusually wide size range for one species — from small pygmy-type goats up to large dairy or meat breeds several times heavier. A flat daily figure, the kind some other backyard animals can reasonably use, would either overfeed a small goat or leave a large one short. Scaling by bodyweight is the more defensible approach specifically because the animals themselves vary so much.

This is quantity, not a full nutrition plan

Dry matter intake tells you roughly how much to feed, not what minerals or supplements a goat needs on top of it. Goats commonly require separate mineral supplementation — copper in particular, since mineral mixes formulated for sheep can dangerously under-provide it for goats, which need considerably more. That's outside the scope of a feed-quantity figure and worth checking with a vet or feed supplier rather than assuming a general livestock mineral mix is suitable.

Working out your own cost

Enter your goat's weight and headcount into the feed cost calculator along with your local feed price for a daily, weekly and monthly estimate, or use cost of keeping to combine it with a vet allowance and other costs. Water is a separate daily input worth planning for too — see our water guide.

Turning this into a winter hay order? The how much hay does a goat need guide works it out step by step, including waste and a winter total.

Sources: dry matter intake ratio (3.5–4% of bodyweight/day), general livestock feed-guidance consensus, cross-checked against the same discipline already applied to sheep's 3%-of-bodyweight figure on this site. Sources checked: September 2026.

Common questions

How much does a goat eat per day?

Roughly 3.5–4% of a goat's bodyweight per day in dry matter — we use the midpoint, 3.75%. That's weight-based rather than a flat figure, because goats vary hugely in size: a small goat and a large one need genuinely different amounts, not the same daily ration.

Why does goat feed scale with weight instead of one flat number?

Because goats themselves vary hugely by breed and type — a flat daily figure would either overfeed a small goat or underfeed a large one. A bodyweight ratio scales correctly for whatever size goat you actually have, which a single number can't do.

Is this figure forage, concentrate, or both?

Total dry matter intake — forage (browse, hay, pasture) and any concentrate feed combined. We haven't found a sourced split between the two for backyard goats specifically, so the figure covers the whole diet rather than one component of it.

Does this replace mineral supplementation?

No — this is a dry matter quantity figure, not a full nutrition plan. Goats commonly need separate mineral supplementation (particularly copper, which sheep-formulated minerals can dangerously under-provide), which this figure doesn't cover.