User talk:Gabacho2
Hi. Glad to help. It's a good start. A couple of things that come to mind... I think the list of plants needs links, scientific names, and alternative common names where these vary. For example:
- Kentucky bluegrass or smooth meadow grass (Poa pratensis)
I'm a bit doubtful about some of the species listed – my British White cattle eat almost anything, but even they are none too keen on the somewhat toxic reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), and I doubt if it's welcomed (let alone planted) by many farmers. Does the source perhaps list species which are grazed, rather than those of high forage value?
It would be nice to have some discussion of how forage is used, and how forage-based systems are different from others. Also should include natural and semi-natural habitats such as moorland, heathland, downland etc – both for livestock and for wild animals. Also woody forage – particularly important for goats, camels etc – indeed, a generally less American/European perspective would be good (forage must mean something quite different for the average African villager to a commercial UK farmer...).
There's not much about foraging for non-herbivores such as humans and pigs – it's not right to say that pigs don't get benefit from it; they just forage different things (see pannage).
Generally I think it needs a good bit of expansion... Regards, Richard. --Richard New Forest (talk) 21:36, 24 April 2008 (UTC)