Soybean (Glycine max)
Soybean varieties were developed for oilseed production but can be used for high quality grazing or hay, with yields of 2 to 3 tons of dry forage per acre. Hay should be harvested when pods are 75 percent filled, requires a hay conditioner and is difficult to cure. Soybean grows best in well-drained soils and tolerates drought when grown for forage. Soybean should be control-grazed with one- to three-day duration. Goats should be moved to a fresh cut when the plants are not totally defoliated to insure regrowth. Under proper management, soybean can be grazed three times during the growing season of July through September. Soybean can be first grazed when 24-inches tall and has excellent nutritive value of more than 25-percent to 30-percent crude protein).
Luginbuhl, J-M. 2006. Pastures for Meat Goats. In: Meat Goat Production Handbook, ed. T.A. Gipson, R.C. Merkel, K. Williams, and T. Sahlu, Langston University, ISBN 1-880667-04-5.