Chapter 10

Forage, Forbes, and Browse

Chris Rice

What Do Goats Eat plants in a tender vegetative state can provide

plants that will be highly selected for nutrient
Goats are primarily browsers; they prefer to value by the goat herd.
eat the leaves and buds of tree and shrub species. 2. Provide young nutritious forage by growing
This, however, is not the entire story because goats different forage species during different sea-
will eat grasses, broadleaf herbs, shrub leaves and sons of the year. Most plants are grouped into
twig ends, and the leaves and twig ends of many two categories: warm season and cool season
tree species. Which ones do they prefer? Just like plants. Warm season plants initiate growth
humans who are introduced to a buffet table, goats in the spring, grow rapidly during May and
that are introduced to a pasture with a variety of for- June, and begin to mature in July, August,
age plants will select the most palatable forage to and September. Cool season plants grow dur-
consume first. This palatability is usually associated ing the fall and spring, and by their nature are
with plants grown on highly fertile soils that have generally higher in nutritional value than the
the youngest tissue, highest protein, and the most warm season species. They too will begin to
readily available plant carbohydrates. lose quality in late spring however, when they
As the seasons change, so will the palatability begin to mature and set seed heads.
of the forages and so will the preference of the goat By providing the goat herd with both cool
herd for certain forages (Table 10-1). Anything that and warm season forage pastures, producers
can be done to provide the goat herd with young can help provide new green growth for longer
nutrient rich forage will increase the health, produc- periods of the year and have a healthier and
tivity, and profit potential of the goat herd. more productive goat herd as a result.
Table 10-1. Average seasonal diet comparison of
Keeping High-Quality Forage in Front
goats.
of the Goat Herd
Season % Browse % Grass % Forbs
Spring 34 49 17 Maintaining a high diversity of plant species
in a pasture so that the animals can select the most
Summer 33 53 14
palatable plants during their most prominent time
Fall 53 37 10 of growth is one method of providing high-quality
Winter 53 42 5 forage. Mixing warm and cool season grasses with
compatible legumes and herbs help accomplish this
Source: What Range Herbivores Eat and Why TAEX Pub B-6037.
goal. Mixtures of bermudagrass, annual ryegrass,
Keeping Young Forage in Front and clovers do well together when managed prop-
erly and can all provide high-quality forage if they
of the Goat Herd
are kept in a tender vegetative state.
Providing the forage plants with the proper soil
New young plant growth can be provided in ba-
fertility not only increases the production of the for-
sically two ways.
age in the pasture but also affects the protein and
1. Provide pasture that is manipulated to keep
nutrient content of the forage grown. Without prop-
the forage from getting to a mature stage of
er nutrition, plants tend to produce less herbage
growth. The older the plant tissue becomes, and they tend to mature earlier. These two things
the more lignins the plants lay down in their together reduce both the total forage available to
cell walls. These lignins make it difficult for the the grazing herd, such as the one shown in Figure
animals to digest the nutrients in the plants. 10-1, and the nutritional value of those plants to the
Keeping them grazed, hayed, or mowed any individual animal. Many times low fertility will de-
time the plants begin to mature reduces the crease the palatability of forage enough so that the
forage maturity in the pastures. Keeping those animals will refuse to graze those plants.

51
 The goal is to measure the nutrient level in the
top 6 inches of the soil so every subsample should
be taken from the soil surface to a depth of 6 inches.
The best way to do this is to visit the local county
Extension office and check out a soil probe that is
specifically designed for soil sampling. A shovel can
also be used to cut a slice 6-inches deep in the soil
and put the slice into a bucket.
Walking from one corner of the pasture to the
opposite corner and taking a 6-inch sample every 75
to 100 yards works well in getting a good represen-
tation of the pastures soils. Once 15 to 20 subsamples
have been accumulated in the bucket, they should
be thoroughly mixed up. Then about one pint of soil
Figure 10-1. A healthy goat herd needs a good should be placed into a plastic bag and taken to the
forage pasture. local county Extension office for analysis. If sam-
ples are needed from several pastures, each pasture
Soil Fertility in Goat Pastures
should be sampled separately to get a good idea of
how to manage each individual pasture.
Growing forage for any grazing animal, includ-
ing goats, is dependent on the health of the soil in
which the forage species is growing. Primary Soil Nutrients

Soil Testing A healthy soil will have all the plant nutrients
needed by the plant to perform its life functions,
Soil testing is an essential element in providing and that soil will have a pH level that chemically
high quality forage and determining stocking rates makes those nutrients available for plant uptake.
based on potential forage production. An old saying Most of the nutrients needed for plant growth are in
warns, “If you don’t know what you got, you’ll nev- high enough abundance that producers do not need
er know what you might be able to get.” Growing to supply them to get adequate forage production.
forage in a pasture without taking a soil test is like Three nutrients, however, are consumed in large
driving a car without a gas gauge. Producers have quantities by the plants, and can be at low enough
no idea how far they are going to get or how far they levels in the soil profile to inhibit maximum forage
could have gone if the tank was filled up. production. These three nutrients are nitrogen (N),
Soil testing gives an idea of how much of a par- phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K).
ticular forage can be grown. With this information, Figure 10-2 shows the results of a experiment on
producers can set stocking rates in animals per acre forage responses to selected treatments and the im-
without fear of running out of forage too soon. They portance of nutrients on plants.
also have the ability to determine if adding more nu-
trients to the soil allows running more animals on a Nitrogen (N)
given land area. They can then determine whether
or not these extra animals will pay for the additional Nitrogen is the nutrient that is needed in the larg-
cost of applying fertilizer. A $10 soil test will more est quantities by a plant. It is also one of the nutrients
than pay for itself in increased utilization of the re- that is lost most readily in the environment either
sources producers have or by allowing them to input through volatilization or leaching. A large build up
nutrients to increase stocking rates to proper animal of nitrogen over time never occurs in soils because
densities. through natural processes, nitrogen is being lost
Taking a soil test is relatively easy to do, but it must through plant uptake, it is moving off into the air
be done properly if the information received from the through volatilization, or it is moving down through
test is to have any real meaning. Soil types and nutri- the soil profile due to its water solubility (leaching).
ent concentrations can change rapidly across a pas-
ture. To get a soil sample that is representative of the Phosphorus (P)
true nature of the soil and get good test results; sever-
al subsamples must be taken from across the pasture. Phosphorus (P) is the second most common nu-
When taking a soil sample, 15 to 20 subsamples are trient that is deficient in Oklahoma soils. P is not eas-
needed from different parts of the pasture. ily lost in the environment; once it is in a soil it tends
52
 Grass Broadleaf Legumes
5000

4000

3000
Lbs/acre

2000

1000

0
100 N+P+K P+K 100# N Nothing
218 lbs/a 46-0-0 130 lbs/a 0-46-0 218 lbs/a 46-0-0 Untreated
130 lbs/a 0-46-0 50 lbs/a 0-0-60 Check
50 lbs/a 0-0-60

Figure 10-2. Yield data for May and June growth in a 2003 Hartshorne IPM experiment on forage response to
selected treatments.

to stay in place. Two things result in low P levels in K in their bodies and essentially recycle them to the
the soil: pasture through their manure.
1. The parent material that formed the soil was With nitrogen, although much of the nitrogen in
low in P. the plants passes through the animal back onto the
2. Under heavy cropping, the P is removed with pasture, a lot of this nitrogen is lost through volatil-
the plant material. High production hay mead- ization and leaching. Therefore, under forage pro-
ows where hay is cut and moved to another lo- duction systems where high yields are expected, ni-
cation can lead to low levels of P. Likewise, old trogen will constantly need to be added every year
crop production areas that have been convert- to maintain high forage production levels.
ed back to pasture can have low P levels from
long histories of taking crops off these lands. pH
Many bermudagrass pastures in Southern
Oklahoma were at one time cotton fields that pH measures the relative acidity or alkalinity
were cropped intensively without the addition of the soil. The pH is important because at low pH,
of replacement soil amendments. nutrients that plants need get chemically tied up in
the soil, which makes them unavailable for plant
Potassium (K) uptake. At the same time, low pH causes molecules
such as aluminum and magnesium to be freed from
Potassium (K) is similar to phosphorus in that it the soil particles. These two molecules can become
is not lost to the environment very easily once it is toxic to the plants inhibiting their growth. For most
in the soil. Thankfully, fewer low K soils than low P forage plants, a pH of 5.5 and above is adequate for
soils exist since most of our soils had large amounts normal plant growth, and enough of the nutrients
of K in them to begin with. However, K can also be the plants need to thrive are available in the soil so-
cropped out by high intensity crop removal and soils lution for plant uptake.
that are low in K can be found on old crop land and Legumes such as clovers, alfalfa, and lespedeza
hay meadows. need pH levels above 6.0 in order to grow properly.
With P and K levels, once a pasture has sufficient The pH of a soil is easy to manipulate with the ad-
levels to promote proper plant growth, and as long as dition of agricultural lime. The soil test will deter-
the plant material is not removed from the pasture, mine if lime is needed for the forage species being
the levels of these nutrients will remain sufficient for grown and it will also tell how much lime needs to
many years. Although the plants may be removing be applied in order to correct any problems. The soil
large quantities of these nutrients, the animals that test will also tell how much nitrogen, phosphorus,
eat these plants do not retain very much of the P and and potassium might be needed based on the for-
53
age production levels and the stocking rates desired. and the goats may ignore it and graze on some other
The local county Extension Educator can help coun- more palatable plants in the pasture.
sel producers on the most appropriate management
strategies for their specific operation once the soil Native Plant Communities
test has returned from the lab. Native pasture and hay medows are a complex
of grasses and forbs that have evolved to the habitat
Macronutrients and Micronutrients conditions in Oklahoma over millions of years. Most
people, however, think of native grasses in terms of
Plants need several other nutrients to grow. the big four species of grass: big bluestem, little blue-
Plants generally only need small quantities of these stem, Indian grass, and switch grass. Native grass-
nutrients, and most soils have high enough levels to es encompass much more than these four species.
supply all of the plants’ needs. Occasionally, one or Goats will do well on native grasses due to different
more of these nutrients can become deficient and re- species of grasses and forbs growing and maturing
sult in reduced plant vigor. Other nutrient problems at different time periods of the summer, winter, fall,
must first be ruled out prior to looking for micronu- and spring. The goats can pick the most palatable
trient and macronutrient problems since they are so plants from a multitude of species. Overgrazing
rarely deficient. can easily damage native grass complexes and care
If after a pasture has been supplied with the must be taken to give the plant species in the pasture
proper levels of N, P, and K, and the pH is within time to rest and recover between grazing periods.
the correct levels for adequate plant growth, the pro- Keeping stocking rates low, using rotational graz-
ducer can then begin looking to other nutrient prob- ing, or both can help this recovery.
lems in the forage. If the producer still believes there
Old World Bluestem
is a problem with the forage growth after checking
Old world bluestem is an introduced warm sea-
standard soil fertility test levels, forage samples can
son grass that grows well on upland soils where
then be taken for analysis to the county Extension
moisture may be limited. If well fertilized, goats will
office for macronutrient and micronutrient levels.
readily consume it in early spring or when it is in
If any of them are in low enough concentrations to
an early stage of regrowth. It, however, can be very
inhibit plant growth, the soil can be amended to cor-
unpalatable to grazing animals if allowed to become
rect any deficiencies.
too mature or if fertility levels are low.

Forages Bahia grass

Bahia grass is an introduced, warm season,
Warm Season Grasses perennial grass that grows well in Southeastern
Oklahoma. It has limited cold tolerance and will
Bermudagrass normally freeze out in the northwest four-fifths of
Bermudagrass is a warm season, perennial the state. Bahia is a very hardy grass under grazing
grass that grows well on most soil types through- conditions and is very competitive with other plants
out Oklahoma. Goats will actively graze this grass for soil nutrients and water. In the early spring, it is a
when it is young and palatable. They will also show palatable grass to most grazing species but loses pal-
a marked preference for it if it is well fertilized. They atability and quality quickly in mid summer. Where
will, however, consume other plants. Depending on it is warm enough for Bahia to survive, it is a good
the time of year, these plants may be higher in pro- species to grow on low fertility soils that have a hard
tein or contain more sugars and therefore be more time growing anything else.
palatable to them. An example of this might be that
in the spring, in a pasture that has low growing Cool Season Grasses
shrubs, greenbrier, weedy forbs, and bermudagrass,
the goats may select the brush species and forbs Cool season forages are a great way to reduce
(broadleaf plants sometimes considered weeds) over purchased feed costs and should be considered any-
the bermudagrass. time pasture resources will allow for their produc-
As the brush and forbs begin to mature in tion and use.
late summer, the goats may shift their preference
to Bermuda if it has been fertilized and cut or Fescue
grazed back by other animals on a regular basis. Fescue is an introduced cool season perennial
Bermudagrass that has been allowed to grow and grass. It is both high in protein and digestibility. On
mature past five weeks, however, will be low quality
54
varieties that are infected with the endophyte (fun- tilized too heavily and allow the annual lespedeza
gus that lives in the plant), palatability for some space to grow.
grazing animals is low and in some cases may do
harm to the animal. Little scientific evidence exists Red Clover
that endophyte-infected fescue causes harm to meat Red clover, shown in Figure 10-3, is a cool sea-
or dairy goats. More studies need to be conducted to son, perennial legume that does well in the eastern
determine the effects. Newer varieties are available half of Oklahoma. It is a short-lived perennial with
that are either fungus free or have a modified fungus stand life usually lasting from two to three years.
in them that make them more palatable and healthi- Lightly reseeding a pasture with red clover seed ev-
er for the grazing animal. Without confirmation that ery year will usually result in stands that contribute
the infected fescue is harmful to goats, the increased large amounts of forage for several years.
cost of establishing these endophyte-free and modi-
fied fescues may not be warranted in pastures where
only goats will be grazed. They should, however, be
considered where other grazing species such as cattle
or horses will be grazed with the goat herd.

Annual Ryegrass
Ryegrass is a cool season, introduced, annual
grass that is high in quality, protein, and palatability.
It works well as a single planting or over seeded into
a warm season grass in October. It makes little forage
during its fall growth period, but early spring produc-
tion can exceed three tons per acre under the proper
soil fertility regime. All grazing animals relish annual
ryegrass and will graze it whenever it is available.

Cereal grains
Like ryegrass, the cereal grains (wheat, rye, bar-
ley, and oats), make excellent cool season grazing for
goats. Wheat and rye when planted on tilled ground
have the ability to produce a ton of forage in the fall Figure 10-3. Red clover.
that can be utilized by goats during the winter pe-
White Clover
riod. When over-seeded in a warm season grass sod,
White clover is a cool season, perennial clover
it will act more like the annual ryegrass, and most
that is adapted to heavy grazing conditions because
of the forage production will be realized during the
of its low growth habit. It prefers tighter soils that
spring growing season.
have large water holding capacities and does well
when mixed with cool or warm season perennial
Legumes
grasses. White clover is high in protein and is very
palatable to most grazing animals. Goats however,
Sericea Lespedeza
have been observed selecting taller forages in graz-
Sericea lespedeza is a warm season, perennial
ing systems rather than consuming white clover.
legume that grows well on deep soils in Oklahoma.
White clover has actually been observed increasing
Most ranchers consider it a weed since cattle will
as a component of the forage system rather than de-
not graze it after it gets about 6 inches high in mid
creasing when goats graze a pasture.
June. Goats have been observed grazing this plant
throughout most of the year and are sometimes spe-
Arrowleaf Clover
cifically purchased to help rid ranching operations
Arrowleaf clover is a cool season, annual clover
of this aggressive legume.
that has high spring production potential. It does
well on well-drained upland soils where white and
Annual Lespedeza
red clover may not grow as well. It must be allowed
Annual lespedeza is a warm season, annual le-
to occasionally reseed itself if yearly stands are ex-
gume that grows well in most Oklahoma soils. It
pected. It is higher in tannin concentrations than red
coexists with warm season grasses that are not fer-
or white clovers but will be grazed readily by goats.

55
 Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a warm season, perennial legume that
grows well on deep, well-drained, fertile soils. It
grows best when grown as a monoculture (by itself),
but has been successfully grown when interseeded
in warm season grass pastures. Alfalfa is high in
protein and extremely palatable to grazing animals
but has also been know to cause problems with bloat
in large grazing animals.

Miscellaneous Legumes
Many legume plants will grow in Oklahoma pas-
tures depending on the geographic location, rainfall,
and soil type. Local county Extension Educators can
provide information on specific legumes adapted to
their local areas. Figure 10-4. Goat foraging on browse.

Forbs attempt to sprout new leaves. These new leaves will

be attractive to the goats, and they will again feed on
Forbs are basically any low growing broadleaf them. Over time, the goats will kill the plant by starv-
plant that grows with grass plants. Many people in ing it to death by not allowing it keep leaves long
the cattle industry refer to these plants as weeds. enough to feed itself. If a brush plant is however tall
A weed is a plant that an individual does not want enough to keep goats from consuming all of its leaves,
growing in a particular place at a particular time. the tree will survive on those leaves that grow be-
Goats will readily consume many of the forbs grow- yond the goats’ reach. In the winter and early spring,
ing in pasture situations during some time period of goats will feed on the buds and bark of some trees
the year. and shrubs, which is where the plant concentrates
Most forbs respond favorably to fertilization and a lot of its carbohydrates prior to spring growth. At
this in turn increases their palatability to grazing that time of year, the bark and buds may be the most
animals. In goat production situations, using herbi- palatable plant material in the pasture. Any leftover
cides to control weeds may be detrimental to forage grass may be overly mature, dry, and low on protein
production since the plants being killed may have and carbohydrates. Goats will select the best tasting
been a preferred grazing species for the goat herd. plant during a particular time of year.
Herbicides should only be used when it has been Goats are often purchased for brush control. This
determined that the goat herd will not utilize a par- task could take a while to accomplish and need a
ticular plant and that plant has started to dominate lot of management of the goat herd. A more efficient
the pasture as one of the main plant species. goal might be to look at a goat herd as a means of
making money rather than just for brush control. By
intensively managing the herd, producers can real-
Brush vines, briars, and shrubs
ize some return on their investment. Any brush con-
trol received as a result is an added bonus.
As stated previously, goats are considered pri-
marily browsers: they prefer to eat brush and
shrubs, such as the one shown in Figure 10-4. The A Note on Bloat
truth is that they are opportunist grazers and will
choose the most palatable plants available regard- All ruminant animals can be affected by bloat
less of whether they are grasses, forbs, shrubs, or with cattle being the most susceptible. Goats do
trees. Goat feeding preference will change with the sometimes have problems with bloat when feeding
seasons and maturity of the plant species present. on wet, nutrient rich forages. Any time producers
In other words, a goat is going to selectively feed on introduce their goat herds to a green lush growing
what it considers to be the best tasting plant in the legume pasture, they should be sure and have them
pasture. already full of a dry hay source and they should be
Goats many times will select the new leaves of watched closely for the first few days they are on the
trees and shrubs in the spring over forbs and grasses. pasture. A commercial bloat prevention block or ad-
If they totally strip the trees of leaves, the plants will ditive should be considered when putting goats on
green lush vegetation.
56
Balanced Forage Systems rye, and barley should be planted sometime in early
September if large quantities of fall forage are ex-
One of a goat producer’s goals should be to at- pected. Annual ryegrass on the other hand, seems
tempt to get the goat herd to harvest as much of the to establish better if planted the first of October. Not
yearly intake of forage it needs on its own. Animals much fall forage production is expected from rye-
that harvest their own forage rather than being fed grass, but when fertilized properly, it will provide
processed feeds will generally cost the producer less the largest amount of spring grazing when com-
and return more profit per unit sold. Buying pro- pared to the other cool season, annual grasses.
cessed grain and hay is expensive when compared
to forage that is grown on the farm and harvested Stocking rates
by the animal.
The problem with most grazing systems is that The stocking rate of any grazing animal should
they are based on warm season grass production that be based on the estimated forage intake of the class
only provides high quality forage for seven months of animal being grazing and the production poten-
of the year. For the other five months, producers tial of the forage available to that animal. Most of the
are left to provide for the animals’ needs with ma- literature suggests that for goats, forage intake runs
ture standing dead forage, stored hay, or purchased somewhere between 4 to 4.5 percent of body weight
grain based feeds. The goal of the producer should of the animal. For a 125-pound doe, such as the one
be to attempt to spread out the seasonal production shown in Figure 10-5, this would equate to 5 pounds
of forages grown by utilizing seasonal fertilization of forage intake of dry matter per day (125 x .04 = 5
strategies and by using forage species that grow lbs). Then, if a bermudagrass pasture was fertilized
during as many months of the year as possible. with 50 units of N (108 lbs/a of urea) and had a pro-
Fertilization strategies are as simple as moving jected overall yield of forage at 4,000 lbs per acre, the
fertilizer input dollars to different time periods of stocking rate could be determined based on animal
the year. A good example of this is the fertilization of intake and available forage production.
bermudagrass in late August. This late summer fer- One hundred percent utilization of the forage
tilization takes advantage of September rainfall to grown in a pasture is never possible because of loss-
grow tender, high-quality bermudagrass during the es from environmental factors. Fifty percent utiliza-
month of September. This new growth bermudag- tion is normally a good estimate of the amount of
rass provides high-quality grazing during October, forage that will actually occur in the animal. Percent
November, and early December. utilization factors for grazing goats is not well doc-
This growth is sometimes referred to as a stand-
ing hay crop. The Bermuda in the pasture to be fertil-
ized needs to have been grazed close during August
so that any growth in September is young, high-
quality forage. Once the Bermuda stops growing in
October, this young, high-quality forage will retain
most of its quality well into December. The whole
area need not be fertilized; just enough acres to carry
the herd for two months of grazing. Fertilizing about
one-third of an acre for each goat for the two months
of grazing would be a close estimate when trying to
provide the goat herd with early winter grazing.
Raising annual, cool season forage such as rye-
grass, wheat, rye, and barley would be another strat-
egy to reduce the producers’ dependence on pur-
chased feeds. By planting and fertilizing one-third of
an acre for each goat in the herd, they should be able
to reduce the amount of off-farm nutrition sources.
Annual cool season forages should be planted
as early in the fall as possible to take advantage of
the moderate temperatures. The earlier the planting,
the more forage growth will be achieve before cold Figure 10-5. An average doe and her kid: 125 pounds
temperatures stop the growth of the plants. Wheat, of grace and beauty in a good forage pasture.
57
umented and could vary from 50 to 70 percent de- ing resource. This method might take a little time
pending on grazing management. Fifty percent uti- and require some observation, but it should result in
lization is normally a good estimate of the amount the most efficient use of the resources.
of forage that will actually be consumed by the graz-
ing animal under continuous grazing systems. At References
50 percent utilization, a 4,000-pound per acre yeild
would result in 2,000 pounds per acre actually being Andrae, John. (2004). Grazing Impacts on
eaten by the animal. The other 2,000 pounds would Pasture Composition. University of Georgia
be lost to environmental factors. If a doe needs five Cooperative Extension Service. Bulletin 1243 Crop
pounds of forage per day and she was going to be and Soil Science Department Cooperative College of
grazing in this pasture for 200 days, she would need Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
1,000 pounds of forage or about one-half acre for 200 Goodwin D.J., J.P. Muir, and R.D. Wittie. (2002).
days. On 20 acres, 40 does should be able to graze Goat Performance, Forage Selectivity, and Forage
for 200 days. Quality Dynamics in Three Cultivated Warm Season
Stocking rates on brush land are a little more Pastures in North-central Texas. Sheep and Goat,
difficult to determine. Measuring the amount of Wool and Mohair CPR 2002. 90-98. Texas A&M
browse per acre can be next to impossible. If brush University.
and shrub control is one of the primary objectives of Hart, S.P. and B. R. Min. (2000). Forage Based
the producer, then a good rule of thumb on stocking Dairy Goat Management. E (Kika) de la Garza
brush land is to start with three to four animals per Institute for Goat Research. Langston University.
acre and then to pay close attention to browse lines Hutchens, T. (2003). Kentucky Goat Friendly
on the existing vegetation. If the goats are quickly Pasture Concept. Goat Producers Newsletter.
reducing the available browse, stocking rates should (October-November). University of Kentucky and
be reduced. If on the other hand, no apparent utili- Kentucky State University.
zation of the existing brush species is observed, the Luginbuhl, J-M, J.T. Green, J.P. Mueller, and
producer may want to increase stocking rates. M.H. Poore. (1996). Meat Goats in Land and Forage
When determining stocking rates where cattle Management. Proceedings Southeast Regional Meat
and goats are to be grazed on the same pasture, de- Goat Production Symposium, February 1996. Florida
termining stock densities for both species needs to A&M University.
be considered. An 1,100-pound cow consumes about Luginbuhl J-M, M.H. Poore, J.P. Mueller, and
30 pounds of dry matter per day. If a 125-pound doe Green. Forage Needs and Grazing Management for
consumes 5 pounds of dry matter per day, then six Meat Goats In The Humid Southeast. Animal Science
125-pound does could be substituted for one cow. If Facts Publication ANS 00-604MG. North Carolina
50 cows had previously been run on a pasture during Cooperative Extension Service.
the grazing season, then for every six does desired Lyons, R.K. and Richard V. Machen, Stocking
on that same pasture, the number of cows should be Rate: The Key Grazing Management Decision. Texas
reduced by one. To run 60 does, the number of cows Agricultural Extension Service Publication L-5400,
on that pasture would need to be reduced by ten. 6-01.
Therefore, 40 cows and 60 goats would be running Muir J.P. (2002). Cultivated Cool Season Pastures
on the pasture. for Meat Goats in North-central Texas Sheep and
Figuring stocking rates by this method is easy to Goat, Wool and Mohair CPR 2002. 60-69 TAES, Texas
do, but it may not be the whole story. In pasture land A&M University Experiment Station.
that is a mixture of grass, forbs, and brush, the goats Pinkerton B. and Frank Pinkerton. Managing
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they are consuming the plants that the cattle do not Hand. College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Life
eat, they are not consuming the grass, which would Sciences. Clemson University.
then be available to the cows. Most Texas studies Schoenian, S. (2003). An Introduction to Feeding
show only a 50 percent overlap in diet preference Small Ruminants. Maryland Cooperative Extension.
of cattle and goats, so in a brushy pasture more ani- Maryland Small Ruminant Page. http://www.shee-
mals may be possible than is indicated by figuring pandgoat.com/
six goats equals one cow. The smart move would be Terrill T.H., W.F. Whitehead, G. Durham,
to stock the pasture based on six goats equaling one C.S. Hoveland, B.P. Singh, and S. Gelaye. (2004).
cow, and then over time adjust the stocking rates of Preference of grazing goats for cool-season annual
the cattle and the goats to fit the grazing and brows- clovers. South African Journal of Animal Science
2004, 34 (supplement1).
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