Goat Pastures Warm Season Improved Grasses

Warm Season Improved Grasses

Warm season grasses are often of tropical or subtropical origin and grow mainly during late spring, summer and early fall. Frost will kill warm season annual grasses, whereas warm season perennial grasses become dormant and unproductive during the winter months. With adequate fertilization, some of the warm season grasses have very high forage yields. However, forage quality of warm season grasses, especially perennials, is generally lower than that of cool season grasses.

Perennials

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon)

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

Eastern Gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides)

Summer Annuals

Pearlmillet (Pennisetum americanum)

Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis)

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.