Author:
KABABYA D.,PEREVOLOTSKY A.,BRUCKENTAL I.,LANDAU S.
Abstract
The feeding behaviour of Mamber dairy goats grazing on Mediterranean
woodland in the Upper
Galilee mountains of Israel was studied throughout a year (1991/92).
The percentages of crude
protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF),
acid detergent lignin (ADL)
and condensed tannins (CT) were determined in samples collected by
hand to simulate the plant parts
selected by the goats. Total feed intake was evaluated by using
Cr-sesquioxide as an external marker
to determine the amount of faeces excreted, and 48 h in sacco
degradability to assess the digestibility
of samples. Overall, more time was spent by goats in feeding on
ligneous material (tree and shrub
foliage) than herbaceous vegetation (60 and 40% of total feeding
time, respectively, P<0·05). The
main ligneous species consumed by the goats were Quercus calliprinos,
Sarcopoterium spinosum and
Calicotome villosa (20, 13 and 7% of total grazing time, respectively).
There was considerable variability in the 48 h dry matter (DM) in sacco
degradability, and in the concentration of CP, NDF,
ADF, ADL and CT, within and between seasons and plant species. Although
requirements for
nutrients varied according to the physiological stage of the goats,
48 h in sacco DM degradability and
the concentration of non-ADF linked (available) CP, NDF, ADF, ADL and CT
in the diet did not
vary greatly: respective ranges were 45·0–49·4; 9–12·5;
44–53; 33–39; 12–17 and 3·5–4·7%.
It is
concluded that Mamber goats (i) may not select the best quality diet
available, but may avoid wide
variations in nutrient content of their diets throughout the year;
and (ii) may not select a diet
consistent with maximization of milk yield, but rather with optimization
of body condition at the onset of the mating season.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Subject
Genetics,Agronomy and Crop Science,Animal Science and Zoology
Cited by
66 articles.
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