LIVESTOCK
INTEGRATION:
Goat farming and cover
crops
By Temakholo Mathebula
INTRODUCTION:
–Livestock integration entails feed
supplementation mainly in winter, providing a
rangeofsupplementstomakeupfor
reductioninavailablepasturein winter
–Growing and cutting of cover crops ( summer
and winter cover crops(cut and mixed with
grass and given to cattle/goats over winter) to
reduce loss of condition
WHY DO WE FEED GOATS?
•Goats are fed to keepthemhealthyand tostimulate productivity.
•Toachievetwo kidding annually, goats are supposed to be maintained in a good body
condition score of between 3 and 4.
•Supplementation is important as it aids in providing nutrients and energy and also
improving the palatability of hay/straws and also improves grazing.
•A well fed young animal will grow faster..
•Wellfedanimalsarealsohealthyanimals
•If animals are hungry and stressed they are more likely to get sick, or to die if there are cold,
wet periods.
WHAT TYPE OF FEED?
•Goats are ruminants and should be fed on high roughagediets.
•Goats should get 80 to 90 percent of feed supply from natural pastures,
shrubs and hay.
•In communal areas we recommend feeding goats with grass hay, shrubs,
acacia, and leaves, browse legumes such as Leucaenaspp, Acacia spp,
Calliandrasppand many other forage legumes as protein supplements.
•Examples of protein supplements under non-conventional feed browse
legumes, forage legumes and oilseedssuch as sunflower seed, cowpea,
velvet bean and other legume plant seeds and bush/shrub meals. Examples
of energy sources are all cereals, hays, crop residues and Cactus cladodes
(dorofiya) pads.
Velvet bean
Luceana
HOW TO FEED YOUR GOATS
HAY (90-100% of their diet)
qHay consisting of alfalfa, bermudagrass, rye grass or black oats
qHelps stimulate production of digestive juices in rumen
FORAGE – (5-10% of their diet)
qPastureofgrassesand weeds,greatforadding diversitytodiet
GRAIN & FEED MIXES–(0-5% OF THEIR DIET)
qGoats don’t need grain to survive. They can live happily on pasture or hay, or a combination of
both. Too much grain may lead to bloating
CROPS PLANTED FOR SOIL BUILDING TO:
qCreate a living cover and diversity
qIncrease root and microbial activity
qDiversity in the soil
q Build soil cover–stover
qProvide other uses such as;Livestock fodder (cattle, goats chickens)
(Sunflowers, Sunhemp, Fodder rye, oats, fodder radish…)
qFood (sorhum, millet, turnips…)
q N-fertilization(vetch,fieldpeas,
qLucerne, clover…
WHAT ARE COVER CROPS?
Management, advantages, and disadvantages of various feeding strategies for
ruminants
Feed Type
Management
Advantage
Disadvantage
Pasture
Moving animals
Access to rapidly
growing green
shoots
Overgrazing,
parasites
Cut & Carry
Gathering greens
and distributing
them to animals
Legume trees can
continually produce;
free of parasites
Takes time to cut
and carry; good
forage species must
be available
Hay
Gathering greens
and distributing
them to animals
Can be stored for
drought/ frost
Can spoil; some
waste occurs
Silage
Buying grains or
gathering greens
and fermenting
them
Can be stored for
drought/ frost
Can spoil; some
waste occurs; may
cause acidosis
Grain
Feed lot
Can be stored for
drought/ frost
Can spoil; poor
nutrition; can cause
acidosis
COVER CROP MIXES FOR
GOATS
SUMMER COVER CROP MIX
WINTER
COVER CROP MIX
Cowpea
Ryegrass
Sorghum
Grazing Fescue
Radish
Alfalfa
Pearl Millet
Fodder Pea
Sunflower
Japanese Radish
Bermuda Grass
Fodder Peas
Lespedeza
Maize and Cowpea intercrop,
Ozwathini
Maize Stover saved from
previous season, rotated with
amadumbe
Fodder Radish
Summer cover crop miox
Alfafa
Soghurm
LIVESTOCK INTEGRATION
•Farmers cut and carry their cover crops
•Sunflower is a good source of protein
•Sunhempimprovesproduction of milk and quality
of daily products,
•Soghurmis rich in protein,B vitamins, micro
nutrients and low in mycotoxins
•Black oats, is excellent for young animals, good at
suppressing broad leaf weeds
•Fodder rye, good for roughage
•Japanese radish, high in energy and protein
INTERGRATION OF
COVER CROPS
•Winter-mastermixofBlackSiaOats,
FodderRaddish, andFodderpeasplanted
afterharvestingofbeans. Andmaize
stalkscutandplacedinbetweento
providecover.
•Mostcovercropsgrazedbycattleandalso
eatenbygoatsandchickens.
•Fodderraddishalsoservesas agreen
vegetableforfarmers
•Covernotthroughoutseasonduetoabove
reasonsbutplantingCCextendsperiod
inwhichsoiliscovered.
STRIP CROPPING
Vetch and black siaoats
Maize and digiteriastrip
Lespedeza
Layout
•Strip: 2,5m x 10 m.
Seeding rate
20kg/ha – thus 50g
per strip for
perennials
•Trial size
20mx10m
THANK YOU