Mixed grazing of adult goats and cattle: Lessons from long-term monitoring

Abstract

Mixed grazing of breeding goats and cattle (goats to cattle ratio: about 50 %, based on metabolic weight) was monitored for 2 years on a rotational pasture with the two species grazing together, then for 5 years with cattle grazing immediately after goats. For both modalities, the level of goat parasite infection was not significantly different from that of the control groups. Nevertheless, the association allowed a slight improvement in kid growth and goat productivity, probably in relation to a better food quality. The response of adult goats to mixed grazing is therefore very different from that previously obtained with kids post-weaning. The question of the relationship between heterogeneity of pastures, knowledge of their environment, grazing behaviour of adult goats and risk of infection with gastrointestinal nematodes requires further investigation.

Keywords: Gastrointestinal parasitism; Leader-follower grazing; Rotational grazing; Simultaneous grazing.