Grazing time is either during the day (between morning and evening milkings) or at night (between evening and morning milkings). Milk yield, milk components, parasite load, and feed intake during housing are analyzed.
Grazing dairy goats is often considered problematic. Goats react very quickly to changing weather conditions and varying forage availability with fluctuating feed intake, which directly impacts milk production. Parasites, which are associated with grazing in most cases, can also become a problem.
This project aims to investigate the short-grass grazing system, which works very well in cattle farming, in a dairy goat herd. Furthermore, the influence of day versus night grazing will be examined. Day versus night grazing could result in different forage intake and varying parasite loads. This project will investigate whether this is indeed the case and how it affects milk production.
The existing goat herd at the LFZ (Agricultural Research and Science Center) will be divided into two groups of up to 14 goats each (depending on kidding results). The division will be based on milk production and body weight. At the start of the vegetation period (expected mid-April), the goats will be kept alternately during the day or at night on a short-grass pasture. Each group will graze for 10 hours daily. The goats in each experimental group will graze on separate pasture areas with identical vegetation. The pasture area will be calculated to ensure an average grass height of 6-8 cm. Grass height will be measured twice weekly. If the grass height exceeds this, the pasture area will be reduced; if it falls, the area will be increased.
During the period of confinement, the precise individual feed intake of the goats will be recorded. The goats will be offered rationed hay and concentrated feed. The concentrated feed will be administered in equal portions at the milking parlor during each milking. The individual milk yield is measured at each milking. Milk samples are taken twice a week and analyzed for their components. Before the start of the grazing season, four weeks after the start of grazing, and towards the end of the grazing season, milk samples are taken and the fatty acid profile is determined.
Before grazing begins, all goats are dewormed, and the success of the treatment is verified by fecal examination. During the grazing season, fecal samples are analyzed once a month to determine the number of eggs per gram of feces. The goats are weighed once a week after the morning and evening milkings.
Feed intake, feed costs, and milk production, along with animal health and its associated costs, are the most important economically relevant parameters. The economic impact of the grazing system can be assessed based on the collected data and forms a significant part of the evaluation.
The insights gained regarding pasture management of dairy goats can provide dairy goat farmers with a crucial basis for decisions regarding pasture management. Furthermore, knowledge of the influence of feeding and husbandry on milk quality is of interest and can be helpful in marketing goat's milk.
