Success StoryMenifee County Yak Grazing Preference Demonstration



Menifee County Yak Grazing Preference Demonstration

Author: Jimmy Henning

Planning Unit: Plant and Soil Sciences

Major Program: Forages

Outcome: Initial Outcome


A Menifee County producer asked for help in understanding why his Yak (Bos grunniens) would not consume vegetative high quality tall fescue, even in fall when most palatable. Initial farm visits could find no apparent reason for this refusal of forage. At the suggestion of the UK County Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources Mary McCarty, a replicated forage species study was designed and planted during spring, 2018. The forages included toxic endophyte, friendly endophyte and endophyte free tall fescue as well as other forages known to be grazed on this farm, such as Kentucky bluegrass. This forage garden will be grazed by yak during the 2018 growing season to determine preference and tolerance to grazing. Stand ratings in the early summer of 2018 showed successful establishment for most species. Plots will be clipped, allowed to regrow for approximately two weeks, then one or two head will be turned into the plot. The producer will make notes on grazing preference by the grazing yak.






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