Generally
Unlike sheep, goats are not purely grazing animals; they are omnivores, meaning they prefer leaves from shrubs and trees, young shoots and buds, herbs, etc. Changing climatic conditions necessitate corresponding adjustments in plant breeding, especially with regard to drought. The extent to which new varieties or new compositions of plant mixtures for pastures are accepted by goats is one aspect of the investigations in this project. The higher the feed intake, the higher the expected milk yield. Of course, the yield of the land and the nutrient content of the feed also play an important role in achieving optimal animal performance. Dairy goats react very quickly to changes in the forage. If any of the four mixtures used are not particularly palatable, this immediately impacts milk production due to reduced feed intake, and this can be measured. By evaluating the plant residue, it can be determined which plants are preferred and which are rejected.
Experimental design
In spring 2020, the experimental pastures will be newly established. Four different pasture mixtures will be studied. In addition to a standard mixture, three experimental mixtures will be cultivated: a species-rich mixture with at least 15 species, a clover-rich mixture with bird's-foot trefoil, and a herb-rich mixture. The four mixtures will be cultivated in the form of a Latin square with plot sizes of 4 x 6 m. A total of four replicates, i.e., 16 plots, will be created, covering a combined area of 384 m². Botanical investigations (stand changes, LAI measurement) will be carried out on these plots. In addition, four larger plots, each also 384 m², will be established with the four mixtures. The goats' feed intake will be recorded on these larger plots. Four goats will graze each plot for 5 to 6 days. The grazing period will be designed so that the animals do not have to consume all the forage. A total of 20 Saanen goats will be available for grazing. All plots are grazed simultaneously by the goats. After grazing, a cleaning cut is made, and the forage residue is recorded for each large and small plot. The areas are to be grazed a total of 5 to 6 times per year, depending on the weather and growth. Yield estimation before each grazing is carried out by measuring the plant height using a rising plate meter. In the periods between grazing of the experimental plots, the goats graze together on the surrounding permanent pastures of the sheep and goat section.
Daily milk yield is recorded throughout the entire lactation period. Analysis of milk components is only carried out in the week before, the week after, and the week in which the experimental plots are grazed.
