Comparative investigation of some behavior traits of Honamlı,Hair, and Saanen goats in a Mediterranean maquis area

Abstract

IntroductionAnimal behavior studies are scientific studies in which any kind of animal activity is observed. However, since there might be differences between species and breeds of animals, it is also needed to consider relationships of animals with each other and their environment in these studies. The fourth out of the 5 fundamental freedoms of animals, which were introduced in 1992 by the Farm Animal Welfare Committee, is about animals exhibiting their normal behaviors. Related studies indicate that animals exhibiting their natural behaviors move around more and have a healthier body structure; therefore, they also live for a longer time (1). Allowing animals to exhibit their natural behaviors is important in terms of meeting their needs (2). When the issue is approached from this perspective, it is significant to reveal goats' patterns of behavior in areas in and around forests found in their natural habitats.Goat breeding in Anatolian geography is observed to be carried out generally in areas in and around forests, as well as lands with inappropriate terrain conditions and areas that are not suitable for plant and animal production (3). Goats have a feeding behavior quite different than other farm animals and can feed on numerous plant species, including bush, brier, and small saplings of maquis (4). Compared to other farm animals, they are more selective when they are both feeding in their feed boxes and grazing (5). Goats, with a very developed ability of adaptation, are able to efficiently utilize bushy grazing lands in every season (6). In addition, some indigestible substances contained by bushes also restrict goats to graze for a long time (7). Goats tend to exhibit grazing behaviors for longer times compared to other ruminants. Even though they consume the forage more rapidly compared to sheep, they have a longer period of grazing. This is associated with the fact that goats are quite active and behave selectively when they are grazing. Goats exhibit numerous patterns of behavior to adapt to adverse effects caused by high temperatures. One of these is reducing feed intake voluntarily. They are observed to graze more at early hours in the morning and at late hours in the evening during warm seasons (8). Goats are also reported to adjust their grazing rates based on hours in a day (9). Differently from other ruminants, goats reach the branches of trees by standing on their hind legs and can eat offshoots, buds, and leaves (bipedal stance) (10). This behavior constitutes a considerably important situation in terms of silvopastoral systems of the Mediterranean region (11). It is reported that goats can

Sheep in the Vineyard: Suitability of Different Breeds and Potential Breeding Objectives

“…Breed-specific differences in the ability to stand bipedally have already been documented for goat breeds [ 30 ]. To our knowledge this has never been systematically recorded for sheep.…”