1. Forage Management for Goat Production
Bob Waldorf
UGA Extension Ag Agent
Banks County

2. GEORGIA MASTER GOAT FARMER
MONDAYS 6:00-8:30 PM March 16- April 20, 2015 OGLETHORPE COUNTY AG CENTER - 55 OGLETHORPE DR. CRAWFORD, GA 30630
March Goat Selection - Will Cabe & Health and Diseases – Dr. Mike Dzimianski
March Classroom FAMACHA - Dr. Bob Storey
March Foot Trimming Demonstration - Ben Ruzowicz
- FAMACHA-hands on and Deworming - Dr. Bob Storey
April Predator Control – Dr. Jay Daniel & Meats and Cuts - Dr. Alex Stelzleni
April Pasture Management - Dr. Dennis Hancock
- Nutrition/Body Condition Scoring-Mr. Steve Morgan
April Marketing - Dr. Kent Wolfe & Small Business Plan - Mark Whipkey

3. Soil Sampling Preparation
Select soil digging tool
Soil test probe
Shovel
Hand trowel
1-3 gallon bucket
Zip-lock sandwich bag

4. Soil Sampling Procedure
How many soil samples to take?
Different soil type per field tested
How many subsamples for each sample?
Depends on field size
Range from 8 to 20
Where to pull subsamples?
Zig-zag pattern through field

5. How to Obtain a Soil Sample (Zig-zag pattern over entire area to obtain a representative sample)

6. What to do with all that dirt?
Collect all subsamples in bucket
Mix well
Place amount of 1 pint into zip-lock bag
Bring in to Extension office
Provide contact & crop info
pay $8 fee
Results will be mailed/ ed

7. Pasture Fertilization
Liming for Proper pH
Ideal is
Overseeded Perennial Pasture
Fall – # N/A
Late Winter – 60-70# N/A if needed
Legumes in Pasture
30# N/A

8. Planting Methods Conventional Tillage/Cultipacker
Conservation Tillage/No Till Drill
Mow/Graze Grass Residue
Broadcast Seeding
Soil to Seed Contact

9. Approximate Diet Selection of Grazing Animals When Given Choice

10. GRAZING HABITS OF MEAT GOATS
Prefer foraging above shoulders & head
Selective towards a high quality diet
Prefer browse over grass
Graze steep slopes with browse
Prefer 30-50% brush, 10-30% weeds & legumes, 20-30% grass
Top down grazers
Cattle prefer flatter land with gentle slopes grazing grasses
Browse is usually on steeper slopes more than grass

11. Goat Grazing Preference Trial University of Kentucky - 2006
(Most to Least)
Sorghum x Sudan - Orchardgrass
White clover - Tall fescue
Turnip Bermudagrass
Red clover
Chicory
Sericea lespedeza
Alfalfa

12. Goats are also known to like:
Browse/weed species:
Chinese Privet
Pigweeds
Thistles
Nettles
Blackberry/Dewberry
Plantain
Curly Dock
Multiflora Rose
Sweetgum
Will eat the seedheads and leaves at top of plants first
Will prevent reseeding of weeds
Slide from NC State

13. Prussic acid will kill horses but not high nitrates
Late plantings suffer from possible drought & scorching temps.
Slide by Dr. Dennis Hancock-UGA Extension

14. Cool Season Forages Annuals: Legumes: Perennials:
Annual Ryegrass – High in quality & quantity
Cereal Grains – rye, oats, barley, wheat
Legumes:
White Ladino Clover - Perennial
Red Clover - Perennial
Crimson Clover – Annual
Perennials:
Chicory

15. **

16. Slide by Dr. Dennis Hancock- UGA Extension

17. Chicory Chicory Fair summer production Responds to high fertility
Establishment needs?
Varieties: Puna 2/Oasis, Forage Feast, Puna
Can be fall or spring established – Sept.-Oct.
Broadleaf weed control can be a problem at establishment
Needs 7 leaves before grazing

18. Don’t limit your thoughts to Almonocultures!
Alfalfa and Chicory
Don’t limit your thoughts to Almonocultures!
Chicory is high in ???
Mixed with alfalfa which is high in protein makes an excellent forage
Amerigraze alfalfa and Oasis chicory
Irrigated Dairy South GA 7/25/07

19. Sunn Hemp – Crotolaria juncea Summer Legume

20. Serecia Lespedeza Alfalfa Drought resistant perennial
Moderate quality forage
Contains condensed tannins
Seeded in spring – March–April
20 lbs of inoculated, hulled, seed per acre
Graze at 8-15 inches growth
AU Grazer best for pasture

21. Slide by Dr. Dennis Hancock-UGA Extension

22. Rotational Grazing for Goats
Allows you to:
Prevent overgrazing
Rotate out of heavy parasite
pressure
Graze multiple forage species
Optimize selection of highest
quality forage
Integrate woodlands and
grass-legume pastures
Integrate warm and cool season
forage species

23. Slide by USDA – NRCS

24. Rotational Graze Cafeteria style:
Predominantly bermuda-fescue mix pasture lots
Use portion of lots for high quality legume
Use portion for high quality forage & worm control

25. Arrowleaf or Crimson Clover
Sericea Lespedeza
F e n c e
water
Fence
Red or White Clover
Arrowleaf or Crimson Clover

26. Any Questions