| Grazing goats and cattle together, will produce more | | | | in northern Arkansas leaves me to believe that hop |
| meat per acre than grazing either species alone. | | | | clover, Korean lespedeza, hot weather grasses that |
| Cattle and goats prefer different species of forages. | | | | come up in July and August, and acorns also help |
| Goats will eat many species of plants that cattle will | | | | control parasites in goats. Controlled scientific |
| not eat such as spouts, greenbrier, hackberry, black | | | | research has yet to be done on the anti helmetic |
| berry, ragweed, golden rod, kudzu, and lespedeza. In | | | | effects of these plants. There are probably many |
| pastures stocked only with cattle these plants | | | | other plants that also help to control parasites. Most |
| become "weeds" robbing the cattle forages of | | | | of these forages can not tolerate heavy grazing. |
| moisture and nutrients. Because they are not grazed, | | | | They usually do not survive in pastures fully stocked |
| they flourish and take over the pasture. Unless these | | | | only with goats. Since cattle do not graze these |
| "weeds" are controlled the land becomes less | | | | plants as readily as goats, stocking with both cattle |
| productive each year. They can be controlled with | | | | and goats enhances their survival. |
| chemical herbicides but the herbicides are expensive. | | | | Both cattle and goats are ruminants. Ruminants have |
| They also require expensive labor and fuel to apply. | | | | an extra organ in their digestive system called the |
| The herbicides can be harmful to the environment | | | | rumen. In the rumen micro-organisms digest forages |
| and might even be harmful to the livestock and to | | | | into many nutrients for the animals. One such nutrient |
| those consuming the meat produced. On the other | | | | produced by bacteria in the rumen is conjugated |
| hand when goats are placed on these pastures the | | | | linoleic acid (CLA.) Tests on laboratory animals show |
| "weeds" become forages for goats, and they no | | | | that CLA can prevent and cure many types of |
| longer flourish out of control. | | | | cancer and inflammatory diseases. Preliminary studies |
| Internal parasites (stomach worms) are a major | | | | on humans show that CLA has a beneficial effect in |
| problem with goats. While cattle are more resistant | | | | preventing some types of cancer in humans. While all |
| to internal parasites than goats, parasites do lower | | | | meat and milk produced by cattle and goats contain |
| gains in cattle. The parasites that infect cattle do not | | | | beneficial levels of CLA, research shows that animals |
| infect goats and those that infect goats do not | | | | grazing high quality forages have much higher levels |
| infect cattle. Thus grazing both cattle and goats on | | | | of CLA in their meat and milk than animals fed rations |
| the same land not only reduces the grazing pressure | | | | of stored forages and grain. Research has also |
| on the favorite forages for each species, but also | | | | shown that animals, grazing on pastures with larger |
| reduces parasite contamination from each, making it | | | | varieties of forage plants, produce higher levels of |
| easier to control parasites without worm medications. | | | | CLA in their meat and milk than those on pastures |
| If worm medications are used too much, the | | | | with only a few species of forages. Grazing both |
| parasites become resistant to them and the | | | | cattle and goats on pastures insures the survival of a |
| medications become less effective. Most worm | | | | larger variety of forage plants. Much research has |
| medications also kill dung beetles which clean up the | | | | been done on CLA. Cattle and goats grazing high |
| droppings left by cattle and goats. Thus the | | | | quality pastures probably produce many other |
| medications have an adverse effect on the | | | | beneficial nutrients that have not yet been |
| environment and might even have negative effects | | | | researched. |
| on the health of humans who eat the meat | | | | The benefits from grazing both cattle and goats on |
| produced. | | | | the same pastures include: more meat produced per |
| Research done at several Universities and USDA | | | | acre, less money spent for weed and internal |
| research institutions has shown that serecia | | | | parasite control, less adverse effects of herbicides |
| lespedeza and chicory control internal parasites in | | | | and worm medications on the environment, healthier |
| goats. Forty three years of raising goats on pastures | | | | livestock, and more nutritious meat produced. |