Final report for FS23-357
Project Information
The project plan is to use fields that have been barren for close to twenty years with more native grass establishments and little fescue stands. These fields will need seeding and fertilization to establish stand. Fields will be divided into one to two acre plots to plant the different warm season grasses. Four grasses will be considered for this project due to their history of palatability with small ruminants especially goats. These grasses are: Bermudagrass, Switchgrass, Gamagrass and endophyte free fescue.
The plan is to establish these grasses in the first year in four separate fields and graze each field in the summer of the second year for the research project by subdividing the fields into smaller lots for rotational grazing. A control group of goats will be divided into four groups with at least 10 to 20 head per group to graze each field that summer. Their weights will be recorded before the first rotation in each field and at the end of the last rotation of each field that summer.
Cooperators
- - Producer
Research
We are utilizing three distinct plots of an acre each which was determined using electric fence netting. In each plot, we planted different warm-season grass for summer goat grazing: sericea lespedeza, big bluestem, and switchgrass. The objective is to evaluate goat growth rates on these alternative forages compared to the tall fescue currently available. Prior to this project, goats on the farm were observed to either lose weight or remain the same during the hot summer months when toxic effects of the endophyte content is highest compared to annuals such as Sudangrass and Pearl millet. To isolate the impact of the forage and minimize variables related to life stages, we used wethers (castrated male goats) from the same kidding season. Prior to planting, the plots were treated with herbicide to eliminate existing vegetation and encourage the successful establishment of the new grasses.
Figure below indicates the plots used.
Due to the summer droughts experience 2023 through 2025, Only plots A and C were grazed, as they exhibited optimal grazing conditions and allowed for reliable assessments of crop growth. See detailed pictures below:
Grazing of Plots
Due to environmental challenges in the area from 2023 to 2025, the grasses took longer than expected to establish; Plot A showed the best results, while Plot B had the poorest. Before the trial began, the goats were weighed using A&A scales mounted on a spin chute.
We limited grazing to Plots A and C, as these plots met the necessary growth thresholds for a reliable evaluation. Plot B was excluded due to poor establishment.
Prior to the trail beginning, Nine wether goats born April through May of 2025 were weighed with A and A Scales mounted on a spin chute the first weekend in September 2025. This procedure ensured the pre and post-grazing weights could be recorded for two weeks in each plot, allowing evaluation of the nutritional effects of the grazing treatment.
| Grazing Period | Plot | Average Initial Weight | Average Weight Out | Average Daily Gain |
| First rotation (15 Days) | Plot A (Sericea Lespedeza) | 62.5 pounds | 67.2 pounds | 0.31 pounds per day |
| Second rotation (17 Days) | Plot C (Switchgrass) | 67.2 pounds | 69.1 pounds | 0.11 pounds per day |
The Summer 2025 trial demonstrated that summer perennials such as Sericea Lespedeza (Plot A) is a superior summer forage for goat growth compared to Switchgrass (Plot C). Despite establishment delays due to the yearly droughts encountered, the wethers achieved a significantly higher average daily gain (ADG) of 0.31 pounds per day on Plot A, compared to 0.11 pounds per day on Plot C. These results indicate that while environmental factors impacted grass establishment, Sericea Lespedeza remains a highly effective, resilient and high-protein alternative to traditional tall fescue for maintaining livestock performance during summer months. The data would have been more comprehensive if the other two plots B and C had established successfully, allowing for additional forages to be compared against tall fescue during the same period. However, since tall fescue is significantly more nutritious in the fall, there was a concern that including it would have skewed the research results.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation summary:
We partnered with Kentucky State University Extension Agent Nat Colten, who provided the expertise and resources necessary to successfully establish the forages for this project. Our outreach efforts included a presentation of the project at the 2025 Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK) conference. Additionally, we organized farm tours in October 2025 for farmers interested in our findings. We remain committed to educating the farming community even after the formal conclusion of the project.
Learning Outcomes
Familiarity of planting seasons and warm season grasses forage establishment.
Project Outcomes
Currently in the stage of forage establishment and outreach to extension resources.