Forage Crops for Goats in Philippines
Posted by Unknown in Goat Farming, Grass, Grazing, Philippines, Silage and Forage on Tuesday, 29 January 2013
(Sun Star Davao)
The increasing demand for goat meat is a boon to farmers engaged in
goat-raising, making backyard and commercial projects a promising
investment field.
As
in any other industry, a decisive factor in the development of a
commercially viable goat raising industry is the product. As everybody
in livestock-raising knows, the right choice of feeds has a direct
bearing on the quality of the meat.
"Goats should
be fed nutritious feeds on a year round basis," says Roy C. Alimoane,
director of the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) Foundation
Inc. in Kinuskusan, Bansalan, Davao del Sur.
The question is
how? "Native grasses decline fast, have low volume per hectare, are
inadequate for high stocking rates, and do not respond well to
fertilization," Alimoane explains.
Obviously, the
solution is to plant new, improved, and more efficient grass and legume
species, which are palatable to goats. A 50-50 combination of both
provides three advantages: 1) it improves milk production and chevon
quality, 2) fertilizes the soil, and 3) helps prevent soil erosion.
Every pasture
land is unique. The variables are soil, elevation, climate, and
location. Certain types of grasses and legumes will grow well in one
area, badly in another. Goat raisers should put up test plots and secure
technical advice and, depending on the performance of different
species, gradually expand.
Some of the
promising pasture and forage crops for goats are star grass, napier
grass, guinea grass and para grass for grasses and ipil-ipil,
centrosema, stylo, siratro, kakawate, kadios, flemingia, and rensonii
for legumes.
Star grass (Cynodon plestostachyus)
-- A very aggressive, creeping perennial, this East African native
grass can easily crowd pasture grasses and legumes. It is very resistant
to trampling and drought but tends to become very stemmy when mature.
Above average in crude protein, young stands are relished by goats. It
responds well to fertilization and, with cuttings, is easily
established.
Spreading
quickly, star grass effectively holds sandy soils along waterways and
embankments. It's very tolerant to grazing and trampling and is
particularly useful in alleys and paddocks near the corral which are
frequently over stock.
Star grass
grows well in the Cagayan Valley, Negros Occidental, North and South
Cotabato and Davao provinces. It blends well with centrosema.
Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) --
Also known as elephant grass, this is the most popular improved pasture
species in the country because of its vigor, productivity, drought
tolerance, and relative ease in establishing it. Like the star grass, it
responds well to fertilization.
While
unable to tolerate water logging, this species grows under many soil
conditions. Although commonly used for soilage and silage, it may be
grazed. It also makes excellent stands with legumes like centrosema and
siratro.
Napier grass,
which is a similar to sugarcane in appearance, can be propagated
commercially by means of stem cuttings. If it is not grazed and allowed
to become overgrown, napier grass becomes tall and stemmy. It is an
excellent species for zero grazing in goat-raising. Napier grass is low
in crude protein.
Guinea grass (Panicum maximum)
-- This African native grows on a wide range of soil but is better
suited to medium to highly fertile soil. It responds well to high level
of nitrogen fertilization.
Like the napier
grass, it cannot tolerate water logging. Guinea grass can be
established commercially using rootstocks and seeds. It grows well with
legumes, like centrosema and stylo, and under trees of semi-cleared
conditions. Guinea grass is only average in crude protein.
Para grass (Brachiaria mutica)
-- This species has become popular due to its ability to grow well
under waterlogged conditions. A trailing grass that roots freely at the
nodes, it responds well to nitrogen fertilizer. It is best suited for
low flat lands and where poor drainage is a problem.
Para grass is a
common weed in irrigation channels and drainage ditches. It is
extensively used in Davao's low coastal goat and coconut farms as well
as in the Bukidnon's highlands (up to 760 meters above sea level).
Like napier
grass, it’s very easy to establish from stem cuttings. It is not as
resistant to grazing as guinea grass, but para grass seems to be the
goats’ favorite grass. It is average in crude protein.
Ipil-ipil (Leucaena leucocephala) --
This is a perennial shrub or tree. Ipil-ipil leaves are bipinnate with
white head inflorescence. It is recommended as a folder crop for
backyard goat-raising. The young stem and leaves can be dried and
pulverized into leaf and stem meal or it may be fed as fresh-cut forage.
Although
ipil-ipil contains an undesirable alkaloid called mimosine, which causes
feather loss in poultry and hair loss in horses and pigs, goats can be
fed high levels of ipil-ipil without any adverse effects. Ipil-ipil is
very high crude in protein.
Centrosema (Centrosema pubsecens)
-- This is a trailing and climbing perennial with bright purple flowers
weakly rooting at the nodes. Centrosema grows well even on acidic soil
and is adaptable to the high rainfall areas in the eastern part of the
Philippines.
Like other
species, it combines well with many grasses. Moderately tolerant of
waterlogged conditions, it is recommended for grazing under coconut
trees. In feed value, it is high in crude protein and goats find it
every palatable.
Siratro (Phoseolus atropurpureus) --
A twining perennial with many branched hairy stems and trifoliate
leaves with distinctive indentations on the margins, it grows on a wide
variety of soils, is drought resistant, mixes with grasses, and seeds
profusely.
Although
siratro is susceptible to Rhixonctonia during the rainy season, it
recovers quickly in summer. This species is not widespread and seed are
very hard to obtain. Siratro is high in crude protein.
Calliandra (Calliandra calothyrsus)
-- A shrub that rarely reaches more than ten meters tall, calliandra
with its red flowers is usually grown as an ornamental. While it does
not produce seeds readily, it grows very well in Mindanao.
Calliandra
grows on many different soils, including infertile ones; it even grows
in heavily compacted clay-type soils with poor aeration. Per fresh and
dry weight basis, it has crude protein content of 9.42 percent and 28.26
percent, respectively. But the leaves are high in tannins which may
restrict absorption of the protein. As such, it should be fed with other
legumes and grasses.
Kakawate (Gliricidia sepium) --
This is small tree that grows up to 10 meters high. It has an open
crown and often contorted trunk that is 30 centimeter or less in
diameter. It does well in moist and dry soil, even with heavy
concentration of limestone. In addition, it can tolerate acidic soil.
The leaves
contain over 20 percent crude protein and are nutritious for livestock.
When given to goats, it should be mixed with other legumes and grasses.
Kadios (Cajanus cajan)
-- A woody shrub that can grow as tall as 3.6 meters, it can be grown
in a wide range of soils but cannot withstand water-logging. It thrives
in light sandy soils, but grows best in neutral deep loams. The pods,
husks, and foliage can be used for feeding goats. The dry seeds contain
about 22 percent protein.
Flemingia (Flemengia macrophylla) --
This is a shrub attaining two to three meters in height. It has deep
root system and produces dense foliage. It looks somewhat similar to
kadios but does not produce edible beans. It is somewhat shade and
fire-resistant. Per fresh and dry weight basis, it has six percent and
18 percent crude protein, respectively.
Rensonii (Desmodium rensonii) --
This is an erect shrub which grows well in moist areas with even
rainfall distribution. It can be planted by seeds or by cuttings. It is
very fast growing with good foliage production, yielding 1.9 kilograms
per linear meter of hedgerow. Its coppicing ability is excellent.
With a crude
protein content (23%) rivaling alfalfa in the temperate climates,
rensonii has been successfully tested at the MBRLC as an animal feed not
only for goats, but sheep, cattle, rabbits, and swine as well.
# by Unknown - 10 December 2020 at 16:54
How about the banana leaves? Goats like's banana leaves. Banana leaves were just wasted in their stalks until they dried up. How about harvesting banana leaves before they matured or become old and feed to the goats?