Stocking Rate Trial with Boer X Spanish Goats under Thinned Loblolly Pines

Goat meat is said to be one of the most highly consumed meat in the world. The perception of using goats for vegetation management other than as a grazing livestock remains very high. As the demand for goats increases due to healthy diet needs and ethnic population presence, the need to increase production using various grazing practices for small ruminants has begun to receive attention. The present study was conducted to determine stocking rates of Boer χ Spanish goat crossbreeds in a silvopastoral system of loblolly pines and Tifton9 bahiagrass. The experimental area consisted of loblolly pine plantation that was planted in 1979 and thinned in November 2001 to 1.2- χ 12-m spacing. Tifton-9 bahiagrass was planted between widely spaced loblolly pine trees. Treatments consisted of (1) shaded pastures and open pastures of Tifton-9 bahiagrass as the main plots, and (2) two stocking rates (10 and 17 goats per ha) crossbred goats as the subplots using a split-plot arrangement. Goats grazed paddocks using a rotational stocking method. Live weight data was used to calculate the average daily gain (ADG) and weight gain or loss of animals over the grazing period to determine recommended stocking. For Year 1, there was no significant difference in ADG of the animals for the shade treatment (P = 0.124) or stocking rate treatment (P = 0.673). For Year 2, the results showed a significant effect of stocking rate (Ρ = 0.003) on ADG. The result from this study indicated that the low stocking rate was best for the goats evaluated. High stocking rates for both years caused weight loss thus indicating that a low stocking rate will be best for the paddock sizes used for the study. A silvopastoral system with goats at a stocking rate of 10 goats ha"1 averaging 34 -45 kg body weight on bahiagrass grown under trees can provide adequate forage.