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 Pasture Establishment
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 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. Tolerance of Forage Species to Soil pH
Legumes Cool-season Warm-Season
High ( )
Alfalfa, Sweet clover, Sainfoin
Medium ( )
Arrowleaf clover, Ball clover Johnsongrass,
Sorghum-sudangrass
Low ( )
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

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. Average Annual Nitrogen Fixation by Common Forage Legumes
Legume Annual N Fixation
(kg/ha)
Alfalfa
Alsike clover
Annual lespedeza
Birdsfoot trefoil
Ball clover
Crimson clover
Hairy vetch
Red clover
Sweet clover
White clover

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

17. Grazing Preference - dependent on forages available and animals experience
Intermediate
bermuda
Chickweed
Thistle
Burdock
Tree of heaven
White clover
Buttercup
Japanese grass
Undesirable
Horse nettle
Black nightshade
Perilla mint
Poison hemlock
Desirable
Multiflora rose
Briars
Ironweed
Ragweed
Lambsquarter
Sericea lespedeza
Annual lespedezas
Honeysuckle
Spiny amaranth
pigweed
Privet
Kudzu
Buckbush
Curly dock
Winter annuals

18. Proximate Analysis Moisture Ash Crude Protein (CP) Oven dry at 135°C
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. TDN Total Digestible Nutrients TDN =  DCF + DNFE + DCP + (DEE X 2.25)
Requires digestiblity coefficients for each constituent.

21. Neutral Detergent Fiber P. 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

22. 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)

23. Detergent Fiber Sequence

24. Forage Quality & Goat Requirements TDN
Weanling
Does in Early Lactation Yearling
Dry & Early Pregnant Does
Vegetative pasture meets the nutritional requirements of all classes of animals on the farm.
Mature pasture only meets the nutritional requirements of dry and early pregnant does.
Does in early lactation, yearlings and weanlings will have to be supplemented if grazed on mature pasture.
This graph clearly indicates that goats with different nutritional requirements need to be grouped apart and fed according to nutritional requirements: graze goats with highest nutritional requirements on highest quality pasture available on the farm

25. Forage Quality & Goat Requirements PROTEIN
Weanling
Does in Early Lactation
Yearling
Dry and Early Pregnant Does
Same principle applies as for TDN.

26. Protein (%)

27. 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
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

28. Standard Growth Curve of Forages

29. The Grass Crown

30. Plant Growth Habits

31. Types of Forage Plants Annuals Perennials Warm-Season Plants
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. Privet Perennial warm-season browse

35. Multiflora Rose Perennial warm-season browse

36. Yaupon Perennial warm-season browse

37. Greenbriar Perennial warm-season browse

38. Honeysuckle Perennial cool-season browse

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

40. Goldenrod Perennial warm-season forb

41. Ironweed Perennial warm-season forb

42. Chicory Perennial cool-season forb Seeding 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. Bermudagrass Perennial warm-season grass Seeding rate 5 lbs/acre

45. Big Bluestem Perennial warm-season grass Seeding rate 8 lbs/acre

46. Johnsongrass Perennial warm-season grass Seeding rate 20 lbs/acre

47. Tall Fescue Perennial cool-season grass Seeding rate 20 lbs/acre

48. Timothy Perennial cool-season grass Seeding 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 Bundleflower Perennial warm-season legume Seeding Rate 13 lbs/acre

51. Sericea lespedeza Perennial warm-season legume Seeding Rate 25 lbs/acre

52. Kudzu Perennial warm-season legume

53. Alfalfa Perennial cool-season legume Seeding rate 15 lbs/acre

54. Annual Forb Species Warm-Season Cool-Season Lambsquarter Pigweed
Spiny amaranth
Ragweed
Cool-Season
Forage rape
Kale
Swedes
Turnips

55. Lambsquarter Annual warm-season forb

56. Pigweed Annual warm-season forb

57. Pigweed Annual warm-season forb

58. Ragweed Annual warm-season forb

59. Forage Rapeseed Annual cool-season forb

60. Annual Grass Species Warm-Season Cool-Season Broadleaf signalgrass
Crabgrass
Foxtails
Pearl millet
Sorghum-sudangrass
Cool-Season
Oats
Rye
Ryegrass
Triticale

61. Broadleaf Signalgrass Annual warm-season grass

62. Foxtail Annual warm-season grass

63. Annual Legume Species Warm-Season Cool-Season Cowpea Hemp sesbania
Korean lespedeza
Partridge pea
Striate lespedeza
Cool-Season
Arrowleaf clover
Berseem clover
Crimson clover
Vetch

64. Striate lespedeza Annual warm-season legume Seeding rate 25 lbs/acre

65. Hemp sesbania Annual warm-season legume

66. Partridge pea Annual warm-season legume

67. Crimson clover Annual cool-season legume Seeding rate 20 lbs/acre

68. Grazing Management Definition
Manipulation of animal grazing to supply the forage needed for the grazing animal to achieve production goals while obtaining desired plant, land and economic responses.

69. Goat >Cattle > Sheep > Horse
GRAZING HEIGHT,
FROM SOIL SURFACE
HIGHER ….TO LOWER
Goat >Cattle > Sheep > Horse

70. Rotational vs. Continuous Stocking

71. Guidelines for Grazing System Design
Water placement
Paddock shape
Number of paddocks
Follow the landscape
Use of similar grazing capacities
Plan alleyways for animal movement only

72. Impact of Distance to Water on Forage Utilization

73. 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 acre
Perimeter = ft.
Area = 1 acre
Perimeter = ft.
Area = 1 acre
Perimeter = ft.

74. 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

75. 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

76. 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

77. Impact of Grazing Rotation on Forage Quality

78. Parasitized Goat

79. Parasite Larvae in a Dew Drop