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Rick's Ramblin's
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By Rick Skillington
County Director Marshall County |
I have been
asked to try to give some educational information
about goat production to assist producers with timely
tips to help increase the number of quality animals
to market. |
| While goats
are primary browsers, they will do some grazing. Maybe
not as much as some people would like, but they will
graze. Since we are running our goats on some of the
roughest ground on the farms and that usually involves
much hill ground, try adding lespedeza into these
fields. Kobe_ lespedeza is the preferred variety to
use in renovating pastures. Adding eight pounds of
Kobe lespedeza on the hillsides should provide additional
grazing during the hot summer months. Planting Kobe
lespedeza from February 15 to March 31 each year can
yield big returns by increased growth in the kids
and increased milk production in the does. At today
prices, it is a real bargain in increased weights. |
Creep grazing
is another method of getting increased weight on your
kids prior to selling them By sowing a field in Alfagraze,
Birdsfoot Trefoil or Millet and building a gate that
will allow only the kids into the field to graze will
provide additional chances for increased weight with
little extra expense. When the forage gets too big
and the nutritional value starts to decrease, open
the gate and let the entire herd into the field and
they will remove the older growth and provide improved
nutrition for the older goats as well.
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The University of Tennessee recommends that you plant
Alfagraze from March 1 to May 1 at a rate of 15 to
20 pounds per acre, Birdsfoot Trefoil from February
20 to April 1 at a rate of 6 to 10 pounds per acre
and Millet from may 1 to July I at a rate of 25 to
40 pounds per acre. Always soil test and lime fields
according to the results. This is the cheapest money
you will ever spend.
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The
Universtiy of Tennessee Recommends You Plant |
| Type Browse |
Dates to Sow |
Amount to Sow |
| Alfagraze |
March 1 to May
1 |
15 to 20 pounds
per acre |
| Birdsfoot Trefoil |
February 20 to
April 1 |
6 to 10 pounds per
acre |
| Millet |
May 1 to July I |
25 to 40 pounds
per acre |
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