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Forage Considerations for the Goat Herd

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.

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Forage Considerations for the Goat Herd

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  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. Goats are Browsers!

  4. Botanical Composition of Grazing Animal Diets

  5. Methods of Pasture Establishment • Conventional tillage • No-till with equipment • Broadcast seeding • Frost seeding • Animal Tread-in

  6. Keys to Successful PastureEstablishment • Select the proper seeding rate • Plant within the proper seeding date window • Insure good soil-seed contact • Control competition from weeds and existing species • Make sure soil pH and fertility are adequate • Inoculate legumes

  7. 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

  8. 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 Tolerance of Forage Species to Soil pH

  9. 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

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. Mineral Nutrient Cycling in Pastures

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

  15. Legume Annual N Fixation (kg/ha) Alfalfa 150-350 Alsike clover 20-165 Annual lespedeza 50-193 Birdsfoot trefoil 30-130 Ball clover 34-112 Crimson clover 56-230 Hairy vetch 110-168 Red clover 60-200 Sweet clover 70-140 White clover 112-190 Average Annual Nitrogen Fixation by Common Forage Legumes

  16. Palatability • Physical factors • Texture • Hairiness • Thorns and spines • Succulence • Leafiness • Chemical factors • Aroma • Sugar content • Fertilization/mineral content

  17. 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 Grazing Preference - dependent on forages available and animals experience

  18. Proximate Analysis • Moisture Oven dry at 135°C • Ash Inorganic constituents remaining after ashing at >600°C in muffle furnace • Crude Protein (CP) N content X 6.25 Kjeldahl distillation Assumes all N is in protein and all protein is 16% N

  19. Proximate Analysis - Continued • Ether Extract Fats, oils, waxes, resins, and pigments • Crude Fiber Digest in dilute acid, dilute alkali Residue – Ash = Crude Fiber Consists of cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose • Nitrogen Free Extract (NFE) 100 – (Moisture + Crude Fiber + Ether Extract + Ash + CP) Measures mostly the remaining carbohydrates

  20. Total Digestible Nutrients TDN =  DCF + DNFE + DCP + (DEE X 2.25) Requires digestiblity coefficients for each constituent. TDN

  21. Buffered 2% sodium lauryl sulfate Extracts soluble cell contents and pectins. Residue LIGNIN + CELLULOSE + HEMICELLULOSE Highly correlated with intake. %bw DMI = 120/%NDF Neutral Detergent FiberP. J. Van Soest

  22. 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) Acid Detergent Fiber

  23. Detergent Fiber Sequence

  24. Forage Quality & Goat RequirementsTDN Weanling Does in Early Lactation Yearling Dry & Early Pregnant Does

  25. Forage Quality & Goat RequirementsPROTEIN Weanling Does in Early Lactation Yearling Dry and Early Pregnant Does

  26. Protein (%)

  27. Chemical composition of various plants browsed by goats (%)

  28. Standard Growth Curve of Forages

  29. The Grass Crown

  30. Plant Growth Habits

  31. Types of Forage Plants • Annuals Plants that complete their life cycle in one year and need to be re-seeded to come back • Perennials Plants that come back every year from vegetative plant parts without needing to be re-seeded • Warm-Season Plants Plants 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

  32. Cool Season –vs- Warm Season

  33. Perennial Browse Species Warm-Season Cedar Elm Greenbriar Maple Oak Sumac Wild Plum Yaupon Buckbrush Multiflora rose Privet Cool-Season Honeysuckle

  34. PrivetPerennial warm-season browse

  35. Multiflora RosePerennial warm-season browse

  36. YauponPerennial warm-season browse

  37. GreenbriarPerennial warm-season browse

  38. HoneysucklePerennial cool-season browse

  39. Perennial Forb Species Warm-Season Burdock Plantain Goldenrod Ironweed Curly Dock Thistle Cool-Season Chicory Dandelion

  40. GoldenrodPerennial warm-season forb

  41. IronweedPerennial warm-season forb

  42. ChicoryPerennial cool-season forbSeeding rate 4 lbs/acre

  43. Perennial Grass Species Warm-Season Bermudagrass Big bluestem Dallisgrass Eastern gamagrass Indiangrass Johnsongrass Switchgrass Cool-Season Kentucky bluegrass Matua Bromegrass Orchardgrass Reed canarygrass Tall fescue’ Timothy

  44. BermudagrassPerennial warm-season grassSeeding rate 5 lbs/acre

  45. Big BluestemPerennial warm-season grassSeeding rate 8 lbs/acre

  46. JohnsongrassPerennial warm-season grassSeeding rate 20 lbs/acre

  47. Tall FescuePerennial cool-season grassSeeding rate 20 lbs/acre

  48. TimothyPerennial cool-season grassSeeding rate 8 lbs/acre

  49. Perennial Legume Species Warm-Season Illinois bundleflower Kudzu Sericea lespedeza Alfalfa Cool-Season Birdsfoot trefoil Red clover Sweetclover White clover

  50. Illinois BundleflowerPerennial warm-season legumeSeeding Rate 13 lbs/acre

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