Success StoryYak Forage Garden



Yak Forage Garden

Author: Mary McCarty

Planning Unit: Menifee County CES

Major Program: Forages

Plan of Work: Animal Science

Outcome: Initial Outcome

2017 Fall Ag Field Day was held at a Beef Farm and alternative forages and weed control was the concentration of presentations at the event. After hearing the alternate forage presentation by Dr. Jimmy Henning yak (Bos grunniens) producer requested a farm visit to check out the forages that his yak was consuming and what they were passing up. At the farm visit a few weeks later it was found that the yak 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. Nine forage varieties including 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 and orchard grass was planted and replicated 4 times. The forage garden will be grazed by yak during the 2018 growing season to determine preference and tolerance to grazing.  Levels of endophyte will be looked at by checking the levels that are currently in the yaks pasture. 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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