Effects of herbage intake on goat performance in the mediterranean type natural pastures

Abstract

This study aimed at identifying changes in natural pastures during the grazing season and investigating the effects of these changes on pasture feeding potential for high yielding dairy goats. During the study, 12 dairy goats were grazed on a 1.5 ha natural pasture for three months from April to June in 2003, 2004 and 2005. The goats were fed 0.5 kg/day of concentrate as a supplement during the grazing season. Botanical composition, herbage production and intake, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents of the pasture were determined. Live weight, milk yield, milk dry matter (DM) and fat content of the goats were monitored. The data were analyzed using a linear model, which evaluated the effects of grazing seasons in each year. Based on the three-year average, 87% of pasture was herbaceous plants and the remaining was shrubs in DM basis with Cistus creticus, Quercus ithaburensis, Pistacia atlantica and Asparagus acutifolius being the major shrub species. The herbage yield in June was significantly lower than in other months in all years (P = 0.001). In all experimental years, the CP content of the pasture decreased but the structural carbohydrates increased as the grazing season proceeded. While live weight was not affected by grazing periods except for 2004 (P = 0.001), milk yield significantly decreased with advancing grazing period (P = 0.001). The results of the present study indicate that natural pasture has a supportive effect in April and May on the milk yield of lactating goats which are in mid-lactation, and suggested that supplementary feeding is required in consecutive grazing periods.

Nutritive value of browse plants selected by range goats in the Mexican plateau

“…In concordance with this, Hakyemez et al (2009) investigated the potential use of natural pastures for high yielding dairy goats and found that CP content of the pasture decreased but the structural carbohydrates increased as the grazing season proceeded. However, Sanon et al (2008) concluded that forage eaten by goats with a CP content of above 10 g/ 100g DM, have potential for improving N to ruminants.…”

Evaluation of the use of arid-area rangelands by grazing sheep: Effect of season and supplementary feeding

“…Jung and Allen (1995) reported that the cell wall content affected the intake and digestibility of forage by ruminants. Furthermore, Hakyemez et al (2009) reported that the season of the year strongly affected the plant nutritive value. In addition, El-Shaer (2010) noted that most desert plants in Egypt are nutritious during the wet season and can meet the maintenance requirements of grazing small ruminants, and that was not the case during dry seasons.…”