An evaluation of a possible complementary effect of grazing goats with bulls in an intensive bull beef system

N.A. Thomson, M.T. Power

AgResearch, Flock House Agricultural Centre, Private Bag 1900, Bulls, New Zealand

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1993, 53: 23-28

A field trial at Flock House over a three year period (July 1989 - March 1992) compared the performance of grazing bulls alone at three stocking rates (3.0, 3.7 and 4.5 bulls/ha) with grazing bulls at 3.0 bulls/ha with an increasing stocking rate of goats (3, 7 and 13 Angora does/ha). The respective stocking rates in stock units (su/ha) for the six respective treatments from bulls alone at increasing stocking rate to bulls with goats at increasing stocking rate of goats were 15, 19, 23, 18, 21 and 26 su/ha respectively. Weaner bulls were brought onto the farmlets in November each year and all rising 2 year bulls were sold off the farmlets over January to April at 18-21 months of age.

Bull growth rates were significantly depressed by increasing the stocking rate of bulls but were unaffected by an increasing stocking rate of does. Bulls in the bull/goat treatment at 26 su/ha grew at a similar rate of bulls but were unaffected by an increasing stocking rate of does. Bulls in the bull/goat treatment at 26 su/ha grew at a similar rate to bulls alone, stocked at 15 su/ha. Goat performance; kidding, kid fleece weight and doe fleece weight were not affected by goat stocking rate. However at the high doe stocking rate, kid liveweight at weaning and doe liveweight (March) was reduced (P<0.01 and P<0.05 respectively). Stocking rate treatments had little effect on the economic farm surplus (variation between $680/ha for the least profitable to $730/ha for the most profitable treatments). However with a more buoyant mohair market and a more robust/productive strain of Angora goat ie. the Zimbabwe Angora, it is assumed that bull/goat system would be more profitable than bulls alone.

Although goats were not complementary to bull beef production they were also not competitive with bulls over the stocking rates investigated.

Keywords: NZSAPAB; Mixed species grazing; bulls; goats.

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Last Updated 25-01-1997