In Search Of "Super Juniper" Goats

In Search Of Super Juniper Goats LIVESTOCK Miscellaneous Though goats don’t appear to be fussy about what they eat researchers at Texas A&M are hoping to figure out which ones have the biggest appetite for juniper cedar The Super Juniper Eating Goat SJEG could help ranchers keep the invasive brush from taking over pastureland “We hope that in the next couple of years we can find genetic markers in goats and then do marker-assisted selection for breeding ” explains John Walker professor and director of research at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in San Angelo He and other researchers have been working since 2000 to record and develop techniques to see how much and what individual goats eat They are monitoring two goat breeds: Angora and a Boer-Spanish cross Looking for genetic markers in two breeds helps confirm the research results Walker says previous research in mice and fruit flies has shown that dietary preference can be changed with selective breeding “We’re curious to see if we can do it with goats ” he says “We want to make them more efficient better biological control agents actively finding juniper and consuming it so that they’re less competitive with other livestock on the same pasture ” Goats tend to eat juniper in the winter while other vegetation is dormant and lower quality Eating the small new growth is especially helpful because it will kill the plants “We want to identify the goats that eat juniper when other food is available ” Walker says He notes that the invasion of woody species is a worldwide problem Natural fires used to help keep them in check but between lack of fires and overgrazing juniper has thrived especially with drought conditions Landowners can mechanically cut or dig them out or use herbicides The problem with broadcast spraying is that the rate required for effective control exceeds the allowable rate for the herbicides Each plant must be sprayed individually Goats provide another option and have a double benefit as they can also be sold in a market with a growing demand for goat meat “Goats cannot be expected to clear a cedar break but they can be an important part of a management plan to stop the re-invasion of juniper after a pasture has been cleared using other methods ” Walker says Contact: FARM SHOW Followup John Walker Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center 7887 U S Hwy N San Angelo Texas 76901 ph 325 653-4576 ext 227; jw-walker@tamu edu

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.