Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
adequate air fl ow, (3) feeding only high quality forage, (4)
reducing the forage : concentrate ratio (to reduce the heat
increment), (5) adding dietary buffers to help maintain
rumen pH if diets are high in concentrates, (6) feeding
yeast to increase fi ber digestion, (7) feeding fungal prod-
ucts and niacin to improve energy utilization, (8) supple-
menting fat to increase energy density for higher milk
production, (9) providing cool water, and (10) providing
fans, water sprinklers, or sprayers for additional cooling
aid.
(mimosa, kudzu); forbs; understory brush as forage; sweet
potatoes, peanuts, and cotton by-products; and conven-
tional supplements. The quality of forage, especially of
pastures, drops drastically in the summer, therefore supple-
mental energy and protein are needed for optimum gain.
Legume trees or small grain pastures can reduce the need
for supplemental feeds. Ideal animal production systems
may be localized to maximize use of available feed and
land resources, and producers must develop sound feeding
programs. Pasture and browse provide needed nutrients
and energy for feeding goats year-round, particularly in the
Southeast. A year-round foraging system for this region
may include annual Marshall ryegrass (a cool season
grass) for winter grazing (December-April), peas or
soybean greens (legume) for late spring and early summer
(May-June) grazing, mimosa browse, sorghum, or
bermudagrass (warm season grasses) for summer (July-
October), with hay or concentrates being used sparingly
when needed (Solaiman et al., 2006). Unfortunately, this
system is very management intensive and requires outside
input (fertilizer, anthelmintics). Compared to goats on
bahiagrass pasture and mimosa browse (gaining 46 and
80 g/d, respectively), animals in a feedlot or grazing
Marshall ryegrass (winter pasture) grew faster (141 and
139 g/d, respectively) and reached their expected slaughter
weight in less time. Animals on feedlot and Marshall rye-
grass had superior carcass quality, but this difference was
not signifi cant. In contrast with the performance advan-
tages for feedlot, economic returns from the Marshall
ryegrass system were superior followed by the mimosa
browse system.
Parasite infestation is one of the major problems in
raising goats in many areas of the country, especially in
the Southeast. Most common and effective anthelmintics
lose their effectiveness with frequent use as parasites
develop resistance after a short period of time. Bioactive
forage plants containing condensed tannins may help in
control of parasites. Browse plants containing tannins like
mimosa can be safely incorporated in the diet of goats in
this region to reduce parasite load (Solaiman et al., 2006).
Feeding for Fiber Production
Management of goats for fi ber production in many ways
is similar to that of meat-producing goats. But fi ber - pro-
ducing goats usually are smaller in adult size than meat
goats and have a slower growth rate. Diets of fi ber - produc-
ing animals generally will be only forage with little or no
supplemental grain. Fiber proteins contain higher levels of
sulfur, so when nonprotein nitrogen is fed to fi ber - produc-
ing goats, supplemental sulfur should be provided to main-
tain a nitrogen : sulfur ratio between 10 : 1 and 12 : 1.
Feeding a high quality protein diet will increase fi ber diam-
eter and result in a coarser, lower quality fi ber, but it will
result in greater fi ber yield. Therefore, the management
choices (quality versus quantity of fi ber) must be consid-
ered carefully when designing the feeding regime. Fiber
quality (fi neness) will be at a maximum under adverse
nutritional conditions. The higher the feed quality, the
coarser the fi ber, but the greater is the yield of fi ber. Basic
nutritional requirements (see Appendix A) still should be
met to ensure that the herd will be healthy and profi table.
GOAT FEEDING SYSTEMS IN THE U . S .
Meat goats in the U.S. are raised under a wide variety of
environments that include the West (California), under a
Mediterranean climate; the Southwest, a semiarid climate;
Southeast, a temperate and subtropical climate; and the
Midwest, a temperate climate. Dairy goats are raised
mainly in California, Texas, and Wisconsin, and fi ber
goats are mainly concentrated in Texas, New Mexico, and
Arizona. Feeding practices specifi c for goat production in
these regions will be covered briefl y in this section.
Goat Feeding Systems for the Midwest
In the Midwest region of the U.S., interest in raising dairy
and meat goats has had a resurgence. Known as the agri-
culture heartland of the country, the Midwest has locations
that provide ideal conditions for raising goats. Daily tem-
peratures range from
Feeding Systems for the Southeastern U . S .
The Southeastern states have a mild, temperate environ-
ment with hot and humid summers, mild winters with not
more than 20 freezing days, and high rainfall throughout
the year. Goat production systems in this region can range
from pasture and browsing woodlands to total confi ne-
ment. Feeds available include grasses; legume trees
10 to 8°C in the winter and 18 to
27°C in the summer. Rainfall usually is plentiful, averag-
ing 250 to 500 cm annually. The lower Midwest region has
higher temperatures and more precipitation than the colder
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