Forage Considerations for the Goat Herd

Richard E. Joost, Univ. of Tennessee at Martin

Gary E. Bates, Univ. of Tennessee Extension

Gregory L. Brann, USDA-NRCS

Definitions

Grass – any one of a number of plant species that have leaves that are typically longer than they are wide, with parallel veins

Forb –broadleaf plants that are not grasses, sometimes divided to separate out legumes

Legume – plants that produce pod type fruits and are characterized by fixing atmospheric N

Browse – the leaves and growing tips of forbs and woody shrubs

Goats are Browsers!

Botanical Composition of Grazing Animal Diets

0

1020

30

40

5060

70

8090

100

% of D

iet

Bison Horses Cattle Sheep Goats Deer

Livestock Species

GrassForbBrowse

Methods of Pasture Establishment

1. Conventional tillage

2. No-till with equipment

3. Broadcast seeding1. Frost seeding

2. Animal Tread-in

Keys to Successful Pasture Establishment

1. Select the proper seeding rate

2. Plant within the proper seeding date window

3. Insure good soil-seed contact

4. Control competition from weeds and existing species

5. Make sure soil pH and fertility are adequate

6. Inoculate legumes

Soil Sampling Pasture Systems

A sample should represent a maximum of 20 acres, preferably much less

Avoid sampling within 150 feet of watering points, mineral access, and shade

Use a coring device to take 15-20 cores from the area the sample will represent

Take to the depth used by the lab you are using

Sample pastures every 3-5 years

Tolerance of Forage Species to Soil pH

Legumes Cool-season Warm-Season

High (5.8-6.5)

Alfalfa, Sweet clover, Sainfoin

Medium (5.5-5.8)

Arrowleaf clover, Ball clover Johnsongrass,

Sorghum-sudangrass

Low (5.1-5.5)

White clover, Red clover, Bromegrass, Pearl millet,

Crimson clover, Reed canarygrass, Napier, Guinea

Subterranean clover, Orchardgrass, Dallisgrass

Birdsfoot trefoil Wheat, Oats

Very Low (Below 5.1)

Kudzu Tall fescue Bermudagrass

Sericea lespedeza, Ryegrass, Rye, Timothy Bahiagrass

Annual lespedezas Crabgrass

Checklist for Forage Stand Failures

Failure to germinate Dry seedbed Non-viable seed Hard or dormant seed Unfavorable temperature Herbicide residue Waterlogged soil

Emergence failure, germination but no emergence

Early seedling stand failure

Checklist for Forage Stand Failures

Failure to germinate

Emergence failure, germination but no emergence Planted too deep Soil crusted at surface Poor seedling vigor Insects or disease Extreme temperatures

Too hot or too cold

Early seedling stand failure

Checklist for Forage Stand Failures

Failure to germinate Emergence failure, germination but no emergence Early seedling stand failure

Soil too acid or low fertility Insects or disease Drought Weed competition No legume nodulation Winterkill Frost heaving Sandblasting from high winds Grazing too early

Managing Soil Fertility

Liming Impacts nutrient availability and root growth of

forage species Nitrogen

Influences vegetative growth of pasture species, especially grasses

Phosphorus Important to root growth, especially of seedlings

Potassium Impacts cold hardiness and disease resistance of

forages

Mineral Nutrient Cycling in Pastures

Nutrient Availability in Relation to Soil pH from Troeh and Thompsen, 2005

Average Annual Nitrogen Fixation by Common Forage Legumes

Legume Annual N Fixation(kg/ha)

Alfalfa 150-350Alsike clover 20-165Annual lespedeza 50-193Birdsfoot trefoil 30-130Ball clover 34-112Crimson clover 56-230Hairy vetch 110-168Red clover 60-200Sweet clover 70-140White clover 112-190

Palatability

Physical factors Texture Hairiness Thorns and spines Succulence Leafiness

Chemical factors Aroma Sugar content Fertilization/mineral content

Grazing Preference - dependent on forages available and animals experience

Desirable Multiflora rose Briars Ironweed Ragweed Lambsquarter Sericea lespedeza Annual lespedezas Honeysuckle Spiny amaranth pigweed Privet Kudzu Buckbush Curly dock Winter annuals

Intermediate bermuda Chickweed Thistle Burdock Tree of heaven White clover Buttercup Japanese grass

Undesirable Horse nettle Black nightshade Perilla mint Poison hemlock

Proximate Analysis

1. MoistureOven dry at 135°C

2. AshInorganic constituents remaining after ashing at >600°C in muffle furnace

3. Crude Protein (CP)N content X 6.25 Kjeldahl distillationAssumes all N is in protein and all protein is 16% N

Proximate Analysis - Continued

4. Ether ExtractFats, oils, waxes, resins, and pigments

5. Crude FiberDigest in dilute acid, dilute alkali

Residue – Ash = Crude Fiber

Consists of cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose

6. Nitrogen Free Extract (NFE)100 – (Moisture + Crude Fiber + Ether Extract + Ash + CP)

Measures mostly the remaining carbohydrates

TDN

Total Digestible Nutrients

TDN = DCF + DNFE + DCP + (DEE X 2.25)

Requires digestiblity coefficients for each constituent.

Neutral Detergent FiberP. J. Van Soest

Buffered 2% sodium lauryl sulfate

Extracts soluble cell contents and pectins.

Residue

LIGNIN + CELLULOSE + HEMICELLULOSE

Highly correlated with intake.

%bw DMI = 120/%NDF

Acid Detergent Fiber

1N H2SO4 + 2% hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide

Extracts hemicellulose and some cellulose.

Residue

LIGNIN + CELLULOSE

Highly correlated with digestibility.

DDM%= 88.9-(%ADF x 0.779)

Detergent Fiber Sequence

Neutral Detergent

Acid Detergent

Solubles Insoluble Residues

KM nO 72% H2SO4

IgnitionIgnition

Cell Contents

Hemicellulose

Ash

Cellulose & Ash

Ash

Lignin & Ash

Lignin & Cellulose

Cell Walls

Forage Sam ple

Forage Quality & Goat Requirements TDN

30

40

50

60

70

80

Pasture Veget. Pasture Mature Pasture Dead

TDN

%

Dry & Early Pregnant Does

Does in Early Lactation Yearling

Weanling

Forage Quality & Goat Requirements PROTEIN

0

5

10

15

20

Pasture Veget. Pasture Mature Pasture Dead

CP % Dry and Early Pregnant

Does

Yearling

Weanling Does in Early Lactation

Protein (%)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

9/97 6/98

Black locust

Mimosa

Mulberry

Honey locust

Chemical composition of various plants browsed by goats (%)

Browse type

Crude protein

Neutral

detergent fiber Calcium Phosphorous

Multiflora rose 18.2 34.5 0.99 0.32

Black locust 23.0 44.0 1.26 0.21

Honeysuckle 16.0 34.5 1.21 0.30

Brambles 17.1 24.5 0.23 0.84

Privet 20.0 26.8 0.89 0.34

Green briar 16.1 39.5 0.60 0.18

Trumpet creeper

16.7 43.1 0.42 0.22

Standard Growth Curve of Forages

The Grass Crown

Plant Growth Habits

Types of Forage Plants

1. AnnualsPlants that complete their life cycle in one year and

need to be re-seeded to come back

2. PerennialsPlants that come back every year from vegetative plant

parts without needing to be re-seeded

3. Warm-Season PlantsPlants that complete the majority of their growth in the

summer at temperatures of 85-95ºF Cool-Season Plants

Plants that complete the majority of their growth in the fall and spring at temperatures of 65-75ºF

Cool Season –vs- Warm Season

Perennial Browse Species

Warm-SeasonCedar

Elm

Greenbriar

Maple

Oak

Sumac

Wild Plum

Yaupon

Buckbrush

Multiflora rose

Privet

Cool-SeasonHoneysuckle

PrivetPerennial warm-season browse

Multiflora RosePerennial warm-season browse

YauponPerennial warm-season browse

GreenbriarPerennial warm-season browse

HoneysucklePerennial cool-season browse

Perennial Forb Species

Warm-SeasonBurdock

Plantain

Goldenrod

Ironweed

Curly Dock

Thistle

Cool-SeasonChicoryDandelion

GoldenrodPerennial warm-season forb

IronweedPerennial warm-season forb

ChicoryPerennial cool-season forbSeeding rate 4 lbs/acre

Perennial Grass Species

Warm-SeasonBermudagrass

Big bluestem

Dallisgrass

Eastern gamagrass

Indiangrass

Johnsongrass

Switchgrass

Cool-SeasonKentucky bluegrassMatua BromegrassOrchardgrassReed canarygrassTall fescue’Timothy

BermudagrassPerennial warm-season grassSeeding rate 5 lbs/acre

Big BluestemPerennial warm-season grassSeeding rate 8 lbs/acre

JohnsongrassPerennial warm-season grassSeeding rate 20 lbs/acre

Tall FescuePerennial cool-season grassSeeding rate 20 lbs/acre

TimothyPerennial cool-season grassSeeding rate 8 lbs/acre

Perennial Legume Species

Warm-SeasonIllinois bundleflower

Kudzu

Sericea lespedeza

Alfalfa

Cool-SeasonBirdsfoot trefoilRed cloverSweetcloverWhite clover

Illinois BundleflowerPerennial warm-season legumeSeeding Rate 13 lbs/acre

Sericea lespedezaPerennial warm-season legumeSeeding Rate 25 lbs/acre

KudzuPerennial warm-season legume

AlfalfaPerennial cool-season legumeSeeding rate 15 lbs/acre

Annual Forb Species

Warm-SeasonLambsquarter

Pigweed

Spiny amaranth

Ragweed

Cool-SeasonForage rapeKale SwedesTurnips

LambsquarterAnnual warm-season forb

PigweedAnnual warm-season forb

PigweedAnnual warm-season forb

RagweedAnnual warm-season forb

Forage RapeseedAnnual cool-season forb

Annual Grass Species

Warm-SeasonBroadleaf signalgrass

Crabgrass

Foxtails

Pearl millet

Sorghum-sudangrass

Cool-SeasonOatsRyeRyegrassTriticale

Broadleaf SignalgrassAnnual warm-season grass

FoxtailAnnual warm-season grass

Annual Legume Species

Warm-SeasonCowpea

Hemp sesbania

Korean lespedeza

Partridge pea

Striate lespedeza

Cool-SeasonArrowleaf cloverBerseem cloverCrimson cloverVetch

Striate lespedezaAnnual warm-season legumeSeeding rate 25 lbs/acre

Hemp sesbaniaAnnual warm-season legume

Partridge peaAnnual warm-season legume

Crimson cloverAnnual cool-season legumeSeeding rate 20 lbs/acre

Grazing Management

DefinitionManipulation of animal grazing to supply the forage needed for the grazing animal to achieve production

goals while obtaining desired plant, land and economic responses.

GRAZING HEIGHT,GRAZING HEIGHT,FROM SOIL SURFACEFROM SOIL SURFACE

HIGHER ….TO LOWERHIGHER ….TO LOWER

Goat >Cattle > Sheep Goat >Cattle > Sheep >> Horse Horse

Rotational vs. Continuous Stocking

Guidelines for Grazing System Design

1. Water placement

2. Paddock shape

3. Number of paddocks

4. Follow the landscape

5. Use of similar grazing capacities

6. Plan alleyways for animal movement only

Impact of Distance to Water on Forage Utilization

Paddock Shape

Keep paddocks as near square as possible Improves uniformity of grazing Interacts with distance to water

With shorter grazing periods, shape is less critical Amount of fencing required varies with paddock shape

Area = 1 acrePerimeter = 834.84 ft.

Area = 1 acrePerimeter = 1043.55 ft.

Area = 1 acrePerimeter = 1147.9 ft.

Number of Paddocks

Select based on utilization and performance goals

Consider grazing tolerance of forages Base on regrowth characteristics of forages Look at the economic potential of various

systems

Paddocks needed = (Rest period/Grazing period) + 1

Follow the Landscape

Allows producers to better fit forages to soil capability

Provides better ability to pull paddocks out of rotation for hay harvest

Evens out pasture productivity

Use Similar Grazing Capacities

Better maintains forage availability and quality throughout a grazing period

Keeping paddocks similar sized may result in nutritional stress Need to focus on stocking rate and animal

production when setting fences

Impact of Grazing Rotation on Forage Quality

Parasitized Goat

Parasite Larvae in a Dew Drop