Cafeteria trials to determine relative preference of six desert trees and shrubs by sheep and goats

Degen, A. Allan; El-Meccawi, Shaher; Kam, Michael

doi:10.1016/j.livsci.2010.04.016

Cited by 15 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…The N content of the Atriplex species in this study ranged between 1.7-1.9% DM which could translate to CP content of 10.6-11.9% DM. This was in the range of results reported by Alicata et al (2002) Degen et al (2010). This is beyond the threshold level of 7% required by rumen microbes for efficient ruminal digestion (Van Soest, 1994), which would, therefore, make Atriplex species useful protein supplements, if palatable.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

Seasonal Preference of Awassi Sheep for Atriplex shrubs suitable for Mediterranean Rangelands

Wamatu¹,

Louhaichi²,

Rubanza³

et al. 2017

JEBAS

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The relative preference of Awassi sheep for four promising Atriplex species, A. halimus, A. nummularia, A. canescens and A. lentiformis was tested in cafeteria trials. Atriplex species were offered to sixteen sheep in cafeteria-type experiments during two seasons, spring and autumn. After an adaptation period of 7 days, sheep were offered the species over eight consecutive days. The species were placed in troughs for two hours in the morning after overnight fasting. Sheep were housed individually in pens adjacent to each other. In both seasons, whole species and their botanical fractions were evaluated for chemical composition and in vitro digestibility. The variability of nutritive value among species was not dependent on season or botanical fraction. Time series analysis showed that intake levels and ranking of species did not change over the eight days. Average daily proportions (%) of whole shrub eaten were A. halimus (70.9) A. nummularia (70), A. lentiformis (65.3), and A. canescens (57.9). In autumn, the same order of consumption was maintained, though intake levels tended to be lower compared to spring. The behavioral pattern revealed that the number of return visits to troughs and time spent feeding on species did not influence intake levels. The botanical structure of species explained 20% of the variation in proportion of intake of whole species. The proportion of leaf was the major contributor to variation in proportion of intake of whole species. Relative preference of whole species was explained by intake, nutritive value and fractional proportions of the botanical fractions.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

Seasonal Preference of Awassi Sheep for Atriplex shrubs suitable for Mediterranean Rangelands

Wamatu¹,

Louhaichi²,

Rubanza³

et al. 2017

JEBAS

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“…Leymus spp (Suyama et al, 2007), coumarins in Melilotus spp (Macias et al, 1999), excessive sulphur and oxalates in Atriplex and Pennisetum spp. (Norman et al, 2004;Reeves et al, 1996), high tannins in Acacia spp (Degen et al, 2010) and nitrate accumulation in Maireana spp. (Table 2).…”

Section: Toxinsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Differences in the relative palatability of plants may allow agronomists to select halophytes with improved feeding value. Halophytes vary in relative palatability both between and within species (Le Houerόu, 1992;Norman et al, 2004;Degen et al, 2010). In Australia, scientists observed that sheep grazing mixed Atriplex stands preferred one species to another and also exhibited strong preferences between individual plants within species (Norman et al, 2004).…”

Section: The Role Of Relative Palatability In Plant Improvementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Halophytes as forages in saline landscapes: Interactions between plant genotype and environment change their feeding value to ruminants

Norman

Masters

Barrett-Lennard

2013

Environmental and Experimental Botany

109

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This technical report series captures and documents the work in progress of the Iraq Salinity Project, in its seven research themes, working at the regional, farm and irrigation system scales. Technical reports feed into the Iraq Salinity Assessment, a synthesis and solutions to solving the problem: Situation Analysis (Report 1); Approaches and Solutions (Report 2) and Investment Options (Report 2).

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“…placed simultaneously in feeders equipped with 6 individual spaces, one space for each fruit. Prior to these tests, close observations were made on the behaviour of the rabbits offered fruits at different times of the day, using protocols previously applied to other livestock species such as cattle (Sandoval-Castro et al, 2005;Cervantes-Marín et al, 2015), sheep (Borman et al, 1991;Degen et al, 2010) and goats (Alonso-Díaz et al, 2008;Degen et al, 2010). We observed that rabbits showed a better ingestive response during the morning, so we concluded that the most adequate time for testing preference was at 08:00 h, for 20-min periods.…”

Section: Experiments 1 and 2: Dietary Preferencesmentioning

confidence: 89%

Feeding rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus ) with tree fruits from tropical deciduous forest

Hernández-Hernández

López-Ortíz

Fuentes³

et al. 2017

World Rabbit Sci.

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The dietary preference and voluntary intake of fruits from Acacia cochliacantha, Caesalpinia cacalaco, Vachellia pennatula, Chloroleucon mangense, Senna atomaria and Guazuma ulmifolia [containing 8.5-13.6% crude protein (CP) and 25.9-72.9% neutral detergent fibre (NDF) on dry matter (DM) basis], and the partial replacement of a commercial diet with 0, 15, 30 and 45% G. ulmifolia fruit were studied in rabbits. Rabbits fed a standard diet (17.9% CP and 28.4% NDF) were used to study their preference (during 20-min periods) for 6 ground fruits (Experiment 1: 12 rabbits, from 45 to 56 d of age and 1180±114 g live weight [LW]), 6 pelleted fruits (Experiment 2: same rabbits from 57 to 68 d of age), and the voluntary intake of the 5 most preferred pelleted fruits (Experiment 3: 18 rabbits from 70 to 81 d of age and 2200±200 g LW). Then, we examined the inclusion of G. ulmifolia fruit up to 45% in the diet (Experiment 4: 12 rabbits/diet from 25 to 66 d of age, and 419±80 g initial LW). When ground fruits were offered, rabbits tended to prefer C. mangense (0.83±0.12 g DM; P<0.05), and when offered as pellets they preferred G. ulmifolia (4.50±0.47 g DM; P<0.05), as well as in Experiment 3 (36.9±3.11 g DM/d; P<0.05). Substitution of a commercial diet with 15, 30 and 45% G. ulmifolia fruits in Experiment 4 resulted in higher DM intake when fruits were included in the diet, across all experimental periods (25-38, 39-66 and 25-66 d; P<0.001). Feeding up to 30% of fruits improved growth rate from 25 to 38 d of age (P<0.001) and produced similar growth rates to the control treatment from 25 to 66 d of age. Feed efficiency was impaired above 15% substitution level during the 25-38 d period (P>0.05) and in all groups fed G. ulmifolia in the 25-66 d period (P<0.001). Guazuma ulmifolia appears to have the greatest potential as a supplementary feed for rabbits in the pelleted form. Its inclusion up to 15% in the diet might render a similar performance to that of rabbits fed commercial diets.

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Cafeteria trials to determine relative preference of six desert trees and shrubs by sheep and goats

Cited by 15 publications

References 42 publications

Seasonal Preference of Awassi Sheep for Atriplex shrubs suitable for Mediterranean Rangelands

Seasonal Preference of Awassi Sheep for Atriplex shrubs suitable for Mediterranean Rangelands

Halophytes as forages in saline landscapes: Interactions between plant genotype and environment change their feeding value to ruminants

Feeding rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus ) with tree fruits from tropical deciduous forest

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