Use and limitations of alternative feed resources to sustain and improve reproductive performance in sheep and goats

Blache, Dominique; Maloney, Shane K.; Revell, Dean

doi:10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2007.09.014

Cited by 54 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…En términos generales, se puede observar como la alfalfa constituye un forraje de alta calidad y con un muy buen potencial de aprovechamiento por los rumiantes, inclusive por sobre otros forrajes de uso común en ambientes tropicales; por lo tanto, la posibilidad de introducir este tipo de materiales en la dieta de animales de alta producción, favorecería el balance nutricional de las dietas tropicales, las cuales se caracterizan por estar conformadas por materiales de bajo valor (Blache et al, 2008;Chacón-Hernández y Boschini-Figueroa, 2016). …”

Section: Conclusionesunclassified

Degradabilidad ruminal de la alfalfa en la zona oriental del Valle Central de Costa Rica

Figueroa

Chacón-Hernández

2017

Mesoam. Agron.

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The objective of this work was to evaluate in dairy cows, the potential of ruminal degradability of four alfalfa (Medicago sativa) varieties developed in Argentina. The research was carried out in the Alfredo Volio Mata Experimental Station, located in the province of Cartago, Costa Rica; the area has a mean temperature of 17.9°C; a height of 1542 masl, and 1465.9 mm of rain evenly distributed between the months of May and November. Sampling was performed during 2014’s rainy season with ground level harvest of alfalfa, with samples of the varieties of Mora, Patricia, Victoria and Super Monarca, with harvest age of 28, 35, 42, 49, 56 and 63 days; all samples were dried, minced and incubated by duplicate on two Jersey-Reyna ruminally fistulated cows, for 0, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours. The results were analyzed through the Marquardt algorithm with the SAS software. Statical differences were only found between soluble fraction and degradation rate (p<0.05) according to harvest ages, with values of soluble, potentially degradable and degradation rate of 35.34%-44.65%, 36.46%-39.96% and 0.0734/h-0.1176/h, respectively. Likewise, effective degradability percentages of 59.06%-67.09%, with passage rates of 6%/h, according to harvest ages were obtained. Given the obtained results, the analyzed varieties of M. sativa showed a digestible forage, which could be used for the feeding of highly production animals.

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Section: Conclusionesunclassified

Degradabilidad ruminal de la alfalfa en la zona oriental del Valle Central de Costa Rica

Figueroa

Chacón-Hernández

2017

Mesoam. Agron.

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“…A lack of accessible feed has traditionally been overcome by herding livestock long distances [45], but is not a feasible option if the aim is to intensify dairy production; this practice can lead to the over-grazing of land [50,51], particularly as the region relies on collective ranges and state forests for grazing which can be difficult to manage sustainably [40] and lack energy and protein during dry periods [52]. It is important to combat desertification and conserve biodiversity in the region [40,53,54] to avoid a high abundance of unpalatable browse, protect long-term food security [55] and safeguard animal health and welfare [41].…”

Section: Future Outlookmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, forage production is rarely practiced in this region [66]. Therefore a potentially more sustainable approach would be to explore alternative feeding strategies [52], particularly forage options [72], which utilise local resources, are simple and are cost-effective. This will require the guidance of technical advisors [66], as the current socio-economic status of the region limits pasture and forage resource improvement due to insufficient technical support and the vulnerability to drought [40].…”

Section: Future Outlookmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This will require the guidance of technical advisors [66], as the current socio-economic status of the region limits pasture and forage resource improvement due to insufficient technical support and the vulnerability to drought [40]. The use of alternative feed resources in goat production has been reviewed in detail [37,52,66,[73][74][75][76] and potential strategies include: by-products from olive production [77,78] which has been promoted under the "plan Maroc vert" agricultural strategy [79]; salt-tolerant shrubs such as saltbush; cactus; ensiling technologies; and feed-blocks of local agro-industrial by-products. Although addition of polyethylene glycol, activated charcoal or calcium hydroxide to the diet can improve rangeland utilisation and goat performance, it can also increase rangeland degradation [76] so should be used with care.…”

Section: Future Outlookmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Intensification of Mediterranean Goat Production Systems: A Case Study in Northern Morocco

et al. 2016

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Goats are important contributors to both food and financial security of the resource poor, particularly in marginal environments such as those in the Mediterranean region. To fully understand the feasibility and potential consequences of any intensification or husbandry changes that could contribute to higher outputs, it is important to have a thorough prior understanding of the functional dynamics of these systems. Here the current performance of ten goat holdings in the northern region of Morocco, classified as either commercial milk producers, commercial cheese producers or non-commercial dairy producers, was recorded, based on the Food and Agricultural Organisation and International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (FAO-CIHEAM) technical and economic indicators, to assess whether intensification of dairy production was financially viable. Fecundity and prolificacy rates were comparatively lower than those achieved by many European Mediterranean herds. Both kid and doe mortality were higher on commercial dairy holdings, where dairy sales provided an additional, rather than alternative, source of income to goat sales. Despite this, due to significantly higher expenditure on supplementary feed, gross margin per doe did not differ significantly between holding types. With the exception of indigenous Greek herds, all European Mediterranean herds outperform those of northern Morocco. The study suggests that a low level of supplementary feeding is constraining goat dairy production in northern Morocco, and that the current high cost and limited availability of additional supplementary feed restricts the financial viability of intensification. Alternative feeding strategies within a participatory approach that might ameliorate these problems, and value chain constraints, are discussed.

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“…Thirdly, the milk yield of lactating ewes and cattle have been also reported to increase following the consumption of high condensed tannin forages (Barry and McNabb 1999). Furthermore, Blache et al, (2008) reported that consumption of Lotus corniculatus, a tanniferous plant, can increase ovulation rate, lambing percentage, and weaning percentage of ewes.…”

Section: Effect Of Tanninsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of dietary protein supplementation and plane of nutrition on the resistance and the resilience of Boer goats against artificial Haemonchus contortus infection under confined conditions

Can¹

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The effects of protein and/ or energy supplementation have been well studied in sheep. However, the few pen studies conducted with goats have failed to identify the role of protein supplementation and combinations with energy supplements against H. contortus infection.The general objective of this thesis was to investigate the effects of protein supplementation and plane of nutrition on resistance and resilience of Boer goats to infection from Haemonchus contortus. To achieve this the first experiment was designed to determine the appropriate amount of additional dietary protein (by having three groups of mature goats effectively fed three different levels of dietary protein) required by nematode free animals given a single relatively high dose of infective H. contortus larvae, to not become infected or at least develop resistance and/or resilience. It was assumed, based on the scientific literature, that a single relatively high dose of infective larvae would elicit strong pathogenic effects where additional dietary protein would give some assistance to the does with their defense to Haemonchus. As often is the case with research on goats the results were not unequivocally clear.Based on these results it was clear that a single dose of infective larvae was insufficient to become established and that these animals had already developed some level of immune response and thus it was assumed, again based on the scientific literature, to elicit strong pathogenic effects the animals tested needed to be younger (more naïve to Haemonchus) and with greater i.e. continued exposure to infective larvae as would happen under grazing conditions (trickle infection) such that different quantities of dietary protein would give these animals different responses to infection by Haemonchus. Again the responses by the goats only indicated subtle differences in immune responses against trickle H. contortus L3 infection. These results, again unexpected, indicated that level of intake (or more specifically plane of nutrition, prior to or during exposure) may be at least as important as protein supplementation in reasonably well fed animals; and or that the method of infection (oral drenching with L3 larvae) was possibly an unreliable method of infection requiring a more consistent method of infection. As such the third experiment involved nematode free mature animals (the only animals available at that time) fed on very different planes of nutrition preceding and during the experiment given relatively high trickle doses of H. contortus larvae via intra-ruminal infection.Overlaid across these experiments were constraints imposed on the amount of infective L3 larvae used to achieve infection; 100 L3 larvae per kg live-weight as a single dose was the maximum initially approved by the University Animal Ethics committee, as they had concerns about animals dying, they also stipulated the use of oral drenching for infective larvae. It was only after these methods failed ii to elicit a strong response was approval given by the Univers...

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Use and limitations of alternative feed resources to sustain and improve reproductive performance in sheep and goats

Cited by 54 publications

References 74 publications

Degradabilidad ruminal de la alfalfa en la zona oriental del Valle Central de Costa Rica

Degradabilidad ruminal de la alfalfa en la zona oriental del Valle Central de Costa Rica

Intensification of Mediterranean Goat Production Systems: A Case Study in Northern Morocco

Effects of dietary protein supplementation and plane of nutrition on the resistance and the resilience of Boer goats against artificial Haemonchus contortus infection under confined conditions

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