Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 10.1
Diet digestibility and growth of goats with sericea lespedeza meal replacing alfalfa meal
in the diet.
Sericea Lespedeza, %
P
- value
a
Item
1
0
10
20
30
SEM
Linear
Quadratic
Cubic
DM Digestion %
70.6
66.7
66.3
65.9
1.3
0.08
0.28
0.57
ADG, g
129.6
77.0
94.9
129.9
14.1
0.77
0.01
0.45
ADFI, g DM
1064.8
1082.4
1195.4
1295.6
1414.5
0.01
0.70
0.84
Gain:Feed, kg
0.12
0.07
0.07
0.09
0.009
0.09
0.002
0.32
Scrotal circum., cm
26.2
22.7
24.4
24.1
0.76
0.21
0.07
0.96
Height, cm
66.3
61.7
62.5
64.8
1.27
0.05
0.01
0.53
Heart girth, cm
98.8
93.2
98.3
93.2
2.31
0.68
0.57
0.11
1
ADFI, average daily feed intake.
a
Based on orthogonal contrasts for equally spaced treatments.
Source: Thomas et al., 2008 .
Cassava hay and peanut hay can be successfully fed to
goats.
Sericea lespedeza gained popularity as forage because
it reduces the parasite load of goats (Terrill et al., 2007).
When sericea lespedeza meal (SLM) was fed at 30% of
the total diet DM to completely replace alfalfa meal in the
diet, dry matter digestibility and gain effi ciency decreased.
However, when goats were fed 30% SLM alone, they
gained weight at a rate similar to goats fed alfalfa meal
alone, and both groups gained more than goats fed acom-
bination of alfalfa meal and SLM (Thomas et al.,
2008 ; Table 10.1 ).
Straws, most hulls, and stovers have low quality (digest-
ibility) as a feed but do not necessarily have low value
when fed in a mixture. Cottonseed hulls have higher palat-
ability and feeding value than peanut hulls and oat hulls
and add bulk factor of diet (Perry et al., 1999). Soybean
hulls (an exception) in combination with hay are excellent
as forage for goats.
The soil and climate in most Southeastern states, in
California, and in the Midwest regions of the U.S. are
favorable for production of high quality grasses and
legumes suitable for grazing. Pasture management, either
under continuous or rotational grazing, is discussed below.
Warm or cool season grass/legume pastures are site
specifi c, so readers wishing deeper discussion of this topic
should study pasture and grazing management manuals.
Continuous Grazing
Under a continuous grazing system, animals are allowed
to graze the pasture throughout the grazing season. The
number of animals grazing per hectare (grazing intensity)
is predetermined so that plants have suffi cient time to
regrow. This system of grazing over time results in an
accumulation of less-desirable plant species. This is the
result of selective consumption of more-desirable plant
species and reduced regrowth of those species.
Understocking and overstocking may alter total output
in terms of animal production and pasture quality.
Understocking results in more mature plant stands in the
pasture with higher fi ber content and lower protein and
energy contents that result in low digestibility of plants and
lower quality pastures. Trampling loss associated with
understocked pastures also increases waste of herbage.
Overstocking, on the other hand, reduces available
forage per animal and will not sustain optimum animal
production. In addition, parasite management for goats
must be intensifi ed using an overstocking system of
grazing. The parasite burden will increase if proper mea-
sures are not practiced. The proper stocking rate in terms
of maximum animal gain usually is not the same as that to
P
ASTURE
Globally, mixed farming systems (crop and livestock)
provide more than 54% of total meat and 92% of total milk
production by cattle and goats followed by landless
systems (feedlots); grazing systems (no crop) provide less
than 10% of the world's production of meat and milk.
However, grazing systems are important in certain areas
of the world such as Central America and South America
where population density is low, and within the U.S. Most
of the livestock in Asia is found in mixed farming systems.
In the future, more livestock likely will be produced in
grazing systems and mixed farming systems.
