Feeding behavior of sheep and goats in a deciduous tropical forest during the dry season: The same menu consumed differently

doi:10.1016/j.smallrumres.2015.08.020

Small Ruminant Research

Volume 133, December 2015, Pages 128-134

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2015.08.020 Get rights and content

Highlights

•
Sheep and goats harvest similar plant species in the tropical deciduous forest during dry season.
•
Sheep performed significantly fewer bites/day than goats and bites were also smaller and lighter.
•
In the same browsing area and time, sheep harvested fewer nutrients per day than goats.
•
The TDF is a source of protein rich feed with low digestibility and poor energy content.

Abstract

The sustainable use of the tropical deciduous forest (TDF) during co-grazing of sheep and goats is a complex paradigm. To unveil the latter, an important step is to identify which plants of the TDF are consumed by different ruminant species. Such information must consider the rainy and dry seasons because of the deciduous nature of the TDF, which imply great changes in biomass availability and species dominance. This study aimed at (a) describing the feeding behavior of sheep and goats in the TDF during the dry season, and (b) calculating the quantity of macronutrients harvested in the vegetation by sheep and goats. An observational study was implemented during dry season in the TDF of Yucatan, Mexico. The direct observation method was applied on 3 sheep and 3 goats (adult, non-pregnant females) to record the species of plants consumed, bite categories (BC) and the nutritional quality of different BC. Grazing circuits lasted 4 h daily. Twelve days of observations were performed for each ruminant species according to a Latin-square design implemented to equally distribute variability due to routes of grazing, environmental conditions and shepherds between days. Feeding behavior of sheep and goats was similar in terms of plant species consumed (29 of 33 species). However, sheep obtained most of their DM from Acacia pennatula pods, whereas goats consumed mainly foliage from shrubs. Sheep performed fewer bites per day than goats (median of 2854 vs. 3634; P < 0.05) and bites were smaller and lighter (P < 0.05). Consequently, sheep harvested less DM/day than goats (median of 358.5 vs. 514.7 g respectively; P < 0.05). Furthermore, goats performed several BC that were exclusive of their behavior. Irrespective of differences between ruminant species, both covered approximately 50% of the DM and the metabolizable energy maintenance requirements after 4 h of browsing. Meanwhile, crude protein maintenance requirements were covered by 76% and 141% in sheep and goats, respectively. Thus, the TDF is an important source of protein rich fodder during dry season, while dietary energy is a limiting factor for small ruminant’s performance.

Introduction

The heterogeneous vegetation of the tropical deciduous forest (TDF) of Yucatan, Mexico, provides several environmental services and a rich botanical diversity (Mizrahi et al., 1997, Trejo and Dirzo, 2002). This vegetation may also serve as the basis of a complex diet for ruminants as reported in other latitudes (Gautier and Moulin, 2004). Nevertheless, the rational use of such vegetation through co-grazing of different small ruminant species remains a complex paradigm. Proposals for the rational use of the heterogeneous vegetation must emerge from the knowledge of those plant resources used as feed, its nutritional value and the feeding behavior of the relevant ruminant species (Pontes et al., 2010). The latter emphasize the importance of linking the ruminant feeding behavior with plant diversity considering both interdependent processes (Agreil et al., 2010).

At present, several authors have listed plant species used as fodder by grazing ruminants in the TDF (Hernández-Hernández et al., 2009, Flores and Bautista, 2012), and some authors included partial information about nutrients harvested from the TDF (Ortega-Reyes, 1985, Rios and Riley, 1985a). No information is available on the quantitative feeding behavior of ruminants in the TDF. The continuous bite monitoring through the direct observation method (DOM) (Agreil and Meuret, 2004) could help to link the botanical component of a given ecosystem with the grazing behavior of ruminants, including their nutrient intake. This methodology is particularly adapted for heterogeneous vegetation and free grazing animals (Bonnet et al., 2015). Recently, the DOM was adapted to the vegetation of the TDF by González-Pech et al. (2014). The latter resulted in a coding grid of bite categories (BC) that included plants of different habits including shrubs, dicot herbaceous, creepers/climbers and grasses. The new coding grid can be used to further explore the feeding behavior of sheep and goats in the TDF. Thus, the present study aimed to describe the feeding behavior of sheep and goats in a TDF during the co-grazing in the dry season, and to quantify the macro-nutrients harvested.

Section snippets

Study site

The study was conducted from March to May 2012 (dry season) in the small ruminant farm of the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán located in Mérida, Yucatán, México (20° 52′7″N; 89° 37′24″W). The climate of the area is classified as tropical warm sub-humid with summer rainfall_. The accumulated rainfall during the study was 82 mm, and the mean temperature was 22 °C (maximum 36 °C and minimum 18 °C). The study area comprised 112 ha of TDF with more than 260 plant species and a large proportion of legumes (

Plants consumed

A total of 33 plant species were harvested from the TDF by sheep or goats, from which 29 were consumed by both ruminant species. It includes 17 shrubs, 6 dicots herbaceous plants, 3 grasses and 3 creeper/climbers (Table 1). Additionally, only sheep harvested two creeper/climber species (fruit of Passiflora foetida and foliage of Cardiospermum corindum). Meanwhile, only goats harvested two dicot herbaceous plants (Morinda royoc and Tetramerium nervosum).

Plant contribution to the daily DMI

Fifteen feed materials from the commonly

Plants consumed

The study showed that sheep and goats co-grazing the TDF harvested almost the same plant species during the dry season. Also, five plant species were identified for the first time as feed for sheep and goats (B. swartziana, C. alliodora, Althernantera flavescens, Bourreria pulchra, Solanum tridynamum) and two plant species (G. floribundum, N. emarginata), previously reported as edible for white-tailed deer (Mandujano, 1991), were also identified as feed for sheep and goats.

Plant contribution to the daily DMI

Sheep and goats

Conclusion

Feeding behavior of sheep and goats in the TDF during the dry season seemed similar in terms of the plant species consumed (29 of 33 species) and the proportion of DMI provided by these plant materials. Nevertheless, sheep obtained most of their DMI from A. pennatula pods, whereas goats consumed more foliage from shrubs. Also, sheep performed fewer bites per day than goats and bites were smaller and lighter. Consequently, sheep harvested fewer nutrients per day than goats in the same area and

Conflict of interest

The authors confirm that they have no conflict of interest that could inappropriately influence or be perceived to influence the work included in this paper.

Acknowledgements

This work received the financial support from the project No. CB-2008-01/106146 and the postdoctoral grant No. 290662, both from CONACYT, Mexico. We also thank the financial support of IEPAC project (FEDER Convention No. 31439—Programme INTERREG IV CARAIBES 2007–2013—No. 41000140). The authors would like to sincerely thank the Agroecology students from the FMVZ-UADY, K. Baas, R. Cetina, E. Cocom, R. Dorantes, H. Puc, and M. Ventura for their committed help during the fieldwork performed for

References (43)

M.A. Alonso-Díaz et al.
Tannins in tropical tree fodders fed to small ruminants: a friendly foe?
Small Rumin. Res.
(2010)
C. Agreil et al.
An improved method for quantifying intake rate and ingestive behavior of ruminants in diverse and variable habitats using direct observation
Small Rumin. Res.
(2004)
G. Animut et al.
Grazing behavior and energy expenditure by sheep and goats co-grazing grass/forbs pastures at three stocking rates
Small Rumin. Res.
(2005)
O.J.F. Bonnet et al.
Is hand plucking an accurate method of estimating bite mass and instantaneous intake of grazing herbivores?
Rangel. Ecol. Manag.
(2011)
A. El Aich et al.
Ingestive behavior of goats grazing in the Southwestern Argan (Argania spinosa) forest of Moroco
Small Rumin. Res.
(2007)
A. Mizrahi et al.
Composition, structure, and management potential of secondary dry tropical vegetation in two abandoned henequen plantations of Yucatan, Mexico
For. Ecol. Manag.
(1997)
P.D. Penning et al.
The effects of group size on grazing time in sheep
App. Anim. Behav. Sci.
(1993)
L. Pontes et al.
Feeding behavior of sheep on shrubs in response to contrasting herbaceous cover in rangelands dominated by Cytisus scoparius L
App. Anim. Behav. Sci.
(2010)
C. Retama-Flores et al.
Maize supplementation of Pelibuey sheep in a silvopastoral system: fodder selection, nutrient intake and resilience against gastrointestinal nematodes
Animal
(2012)
M. Theodorou et al.
A simple gas production using a pressure transducer to determine the fermentation kinetics of ruminant feeds
Anim. Feed. Sci. Technol.
(1994)

J.F.J. Torres-Acosta et al.

Improving resilience against natural gastrointestinal nematode infections in browsing kids during the dry season in tropical Mexico

Vet. Parasitol.

(2006)

P.J. Van Soest et al.

Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and nonstarch polysaccharide in relation to animal nutrition

J. Dairy Sci.

(1991)

M.D. Yiakoulaki et al.

Intake by goats grazing kermes oaks shrublands with varying cover in Northern Greece

Small Rumin. Res.

(1995)

C. Agreil et al.

Linking the dynamics of ruminant feeding behavior and dominant shrub responses on rangeland: forage resources renewal and biodiversity conservation

Environ. Res. J.

(2010)

J. Altman

Observational study of behavior: sampling methods

Behaviour

(1974)

Aoac

Official Methods of Analysis

(1980)

A. Ayala-Burgos et al.

Composición Química Nutricional De Árboles Forrajeros. Compilación De Análisis De Laboratorio De Nutrición Animal

(2006)

M. Barros-Rodríguez et al.

Productive performance and urinary excretion of mimosine metabolites by hair sheep grazing in a silvopastoral system with high densities of Leucaena leucocephala

Trop. Anim. Health Prod.

(2012)

O.J.F. Bonnet et al.

Continuous bite monitoring; a method to asses the foraging dynamics of herbivores in natural grazing conditions

Anim. Prod. Sci.

(2015)

Y. Chen et al.

Effect of restricted grazing time on the foraging behavior and movement of Tan sheep grazed on desert steppe

Asian Australas. J. Anim. Sci.

(2013)

M.H. Esqueda-Coronado et al.

Producción de Ovinos de Pelo Bajo Condiciones de Pastoreo Extensivo en el Norte de México

(2009)

Cited by (56)

The complexity of goats’ feeding behaviour: An overview of the research in the tropical low deciduous forest
2024, Small Ruminant Research
This overview describes a series of studies on the feeding behaviour of goats in the low deciduous forest (LDF) and some of the factors that affect such behaviour. Those multidisciplinary studies included field trials as well as controlled pen trials. Field observations were performed with the direct observation method (DOM) and by establishing a bite code grid adapted to the LDF, and the pen studies used a cafeteria strategy using leaves harvested from different plants of the LDF. Studies exploring the selection of feed resources used different selection indexes. Field observations showed that goats consumed >90 plant species from the heterogeneous vegetation, but only a few (7 - 15 species) represented >90% of the daily intake, and that differed between rainy and dry seasons. Although the LDF vegetation allows goats to match their crude protein requirements in both seasons, dietary energy was the limiting factor, and the condensed tannin (CT) content of the harvested diet was always high. Field and cafeteria studies suggested that goats optimize their diet with the resources available as they prefer to consume leaves with lower fibrous content while plant secondary metabolites (PSM) such as condensed tannins (CT) seemed less influential. Field and pen studies confirmed that CT blocking with polyethylene glycol did not modify the intake and selection of the CT-rich foliage which could be related to tannin-binding salivary proteins which were identified as an innate feature of the local goats. While pen studies showed that browsing experience helped goats select feeds of better digestibility and lower PSM content, helping them optimize their nutrition, field studies showed that adult goats consumed more plant species, performed larger bites, at higher strata than kids, while the proportion of life forms consumed was similar. Most field and pen studies showed that goats generally do not consume CT-rich foliage as a therapeutic self-medication strategy against gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN), instead, a prophylactic strategy seemed feasible. This behavioural feature could aim at different goals: (i) to avoid excess nitrogen in the rumen, (ii) to maintain the CP:energy balance (reducing energy loss due to urea urinary excretion), and (iii) to avoid exsheathment of GIN L₃ (affecting their life-cycle). The DOM showed that goats consume small quantities of plants containing toxic compounds and they shift from browsing early in the morning to grazing some hours later, and both strategies warrant further research. The DOM also helped to relate plant life forms consumed with the degree of GIN infection, which deepens our understanding of GIN epidemiology in heterogeneous vegetation ecosystems. From these findings on the feeding behaviour of goats in the LDF, new research opportunities were proposed.
Targeted treatment strategies for the control of gastrointestinal nematodes in a goat flock with anthelmintic resistant worm populations and poor nutrition
2023, Small Ruminant Research
Combined targeted selective treatment schemes using FAMACHA©, body condition score (BCS), and faecal egg counts (FEC) can reduce the number of anthelmintic (AH) treatments per year in goat farms, which can slow down the selection of AH-resistant worm populations. Supplementary feeding can further reduce the FEC of goats at the farm level. A 19-month survey was implemented to (i) identify the number of times that goats crossed the thresholds of FAMACHA©, BCS, and FEC, (ii) identify the monthly FEC reductions of goats treated with AH in the targeted scheme, and (iii) identify the effect of a supplementation scheme on the goats’ FEC. The survey was performed at a goat farm in tropical México. Goats grazed natural vegetation four h/day and received concentrate feed daily (14% crude protein, 150 g each). Each month, goats (n = 88) were examined, and those with FAMACHA© ≥ 4, BCS ≤ 2, and FEC ≥ 750 eggs per gram of faeces (EPG) were identified (Day 0). From September 2018 to September 2019, goats crossing the FEC threshold (events) were allocated to two different groups distributed according to FEC values: deworming group (DG; n = 71 events) and supplemented group (SG; n = 72 events). From October 2019, all the goats were assigned only to the DG (n = 31 events) due to management problems in the study farm. The DG goats were individually weighed and treated with levamisole (LEV, 12 mg/kg body weight (BW), subcutaneous (sc)) and their normal diet. From November 2019 to March 2020, the DG goats were treated with LEV and benzimidazole (BZ, 7 mg/kg BW, sc). The SG goats were individually supplemented with an additional 300 g of concentrate feed for ten days. From the 88 goats surveyed, 70.5% crossed the FAMACHA©/BCS thresholds, with goats sampled 1–7 times. From the 369 sampled events, only 56% had ≥ 750 EPG. The FEC reduction of DG goats treated with LEV ranged from 46.7% to 96.1%, and with LEV+BZ combination was 100%. The FEC reduction in the SG goats ranged from 27.7% to 95.5%. Supplementation of SG goats had a positive impact on most goats and helped to limit the number of dewormed goats. To be effective, the supplement must be an addition to the normal diet.
Can GPS monitoring help farmers select the best nutritional management strategy for finishing sheep on pasture?
2023, Livestock Science
Global Positioning System (GPS) allows monitoring of grazing herds remotely through real-time data collection. We hypothesized that GPS monitoring will establish preferential routes and grazing sites to find the best feeding strategy (supplementation versus no-supplementation) for sheep finished in a Caatinga rangeland (seasonally dry tropical forest) throughout different seasons of the year (rainy period, transition period, and drought period). The experiment was conducted on a 37.9 ha-Caatinga rangeland and comprised 84 days, subdivided into three 28-day periods (rainy, transition, and drought period). Four rumen cannulated sheep were used for estimation of pasture composition during each collection period based on extrusa samples. Twenty-four intact ram lambs (Santa Ines × Dorper F1 crossbred) grazing on Caatinga rangeland were used to test the effects of supplementation on performance, nutrient intake, and nutrient digestibility during the different seasons. The animals were fitted with GPS collars before being released into the Caatinga to monitor their behavioral activity. Greater walking distance, longer grazing time, higher kernel density, and higher walking speed were detected (P < 0.05) for non-supplemented animals, irrespective of season. The supplemented sheep showed greater (P < 0.05) nutrient intake and nutrient digestibility across all experimental periods compared to the non-supplemented animals. Supplemented animals showed greater (P < 0.05) final body weight and average daily gain compared to non-supplemented animals. During the transition and drought periods, supplementation affected all performance variables. In conclusion, GPS is a useful tool to highlight grazing sites according to different seasons and monitor the behavior of F1 Santa Ines × Dorper sheep finished on Caatinga rangeland. Thus, GPS monitoring aids in establishing the best supplementation strategy and consequently reduces productive and environmental losses caused by the spatial distribution of animals and irregular forage use. In addition, supplementation can offset the negative impacts of low forage supply on sheep grazing Caatinga areas.
Voluntary consumption of Lantana camara L. when browsing the heterogeneous vegetation of tropical forests: A goats’ perspective
2022, Journal of Arid Environments
Although Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) consumption has been considered a health hazard for many livestock species, its true feeding value for ruminants should not be disregarded. The present work describes the feeding behavior of 36 Criollo goats towards L. camara in the heterogeneous grazing/browsing context of the low deciduous forest (LDF). An observational methodology focusing on the bite-scale (frequency, size, height, and part of plant) was implemented for eight weeks. Almost all experimental goats (35 of 36) consumed freely and consistently L. camara, including bites (up to 30 cm) directed to leaves, stems, flowers, and fruits. Goats possess anatomical, physiological, and behavioral strategies that help them select a wide range of plant species, and the nutritional context could play an important role on their dietary decisions. Considering the heterogeneity present in the LDF, mixing plant species, avoiding large intake of specific feed resources, and maintaining a constant intake of diverse plant secondary metabolites seems to be the foundation of goat feeding behavior. In conclusion, voluntary L. camara consumption by Criollo goats in the LDF is constant, albeit small. Future works should focus on its phytochemical profile and relationships with the nutritional and health status of goats.
Comparing the in vitro digestibility of leaves from tropical trees when using the rumen liquor from cattle, sheep or goats
2021, Small Ruminant Research
This study compared the effect of ruminal inoculum from different donor species (goat vs. cattle and sheep vs. cattle) on the in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) of leaves from tropical plant species. Comparisons were performed with and without the addition of N and polyethylene glycol (PEG). Leaves from six tropical trees with different condensed tannin content were used (Caesalpinia gaumeri, Cordia alliodora, Gymnopodium floribundum, Neomillspaughia emarginata, Piscidia piscipula and Senegalia gaumeri). Donors of ruminal liquor included a ruminal cannulated adult cow (500 kg live weight [LW]), two growing Criollo goats (22 ± 3 kg LW, study one) and two growing Pelibuey lambs (24.8 ± 0.28 LW, study two). Donors were maintained in individual pens and received a basal diet with concentrate feed and Pennisetum purpureum grass. The IVDMD and IVOMD using sheep or goat vs. cow rumen liquor were determined from dry samples of a commercial concentrate feed, P. purpureum grass, and the leaves from experimental plants with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement: with or without N-enriched media (+N and -N), and with or without polyethylene glycol (+PEG and -PEG). Respective standard linear regressions and orthogonal regressions were used to compare equivalence of IVDMD and IVOMD results between ruminal inoculum from different donor species (cattle vs. goat in study one and cattle vs. sheep in study two). The standard linear regressions suggested strong associations between the ruminal inocula compared, in both IVDMD and IVOMD with the four treatments (R² > 87 % for study one and R² > 89 % for study two, P < 0.001). However, orthogonal regressions showed differences between inocula of cattle and goats on IVDMD, when using + PEG media, and on IVDMD and IVOMD when using + N media (P < 0.05). Differences between inocula of cattle and sheep were only evident in the absence of PEG (P < 0.05). The standard linear and orthogonal regressions suggested that the IVDMD and IVOMD of leaves from tropical trees obtained with sheep or goats’ ruminal liquors, within the evaluated range of digestibilities (c. 0.2 to 0.65), can be predicted from the IVDMD and IVOMD obtained with the cattle ruminal liquor. However, when evaluating digestibilities of leaves from tropical trees it is important to evaluate the specific incubation conditions using the donor species of interest to improve accuracy of results.
Comparing the browsing behavior of inexperienced kids versus adult goats on heterogeneous vegetation
2021, Applied Animal Behaviour Science
Citation Excerpt :
Other important factors include nitrogen recycling mechanisms (Silanikove, 2000) and, in some goat breeds, resistance/resilience to gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections (Zvinorova et al., 2016; Gárate-Gallardo et al., 2015). Behavioral characteristics also enable goats to take advantage of heterogeneous vegetation (González-Pech et al., 2015; Ventura-Cordero et al., 2019), such as adopting a bipedal position while browsing (Daramola and Adeloye, 2009) and intermediate (Van Soest, 1994) or opportunistic (Kronberg and Malechek, 1997) behaviors in the consumption of vines, dicot-herbaceous plants and grasses. When confronted with heterogeneous vegetation, the feeding behaviors of inexperienced kids raised indoors may differ from those of goats with browsing experience.
The present study compared the feeding behavior of inexperienced kids on heterogeneous vegetation with that of adult goats with browsing experience. Twelve non-pregnant, non-lactating adult Criollo goats (35 ± 5 kg live weight (LW)) with >3 years of browsing experience and ten weaned kids (19 ± 3 kg LW) without previous browsing experience were used. The two groups of animals browsed simultaneously on 10.2 ha of tropical heterogeneous vegetation (4 h daily) in the rainy season. Mouth dimensions (width and length) were determined from contemporary animals in the same herd (14 kids and 79 adult goats). The proportion of dry matter intake (DMI) was estimated for the following categories: (i) life forms: shrubs, dicot-herbaceous plants, vines and grasses; (ii) height of strata: low (<25 cm), medium (25−50 cm) and high (>50 cm of height); and (iii) bite size: small (<5 cm) and large (>6 cm). The proportions of materials consumed in each category were compared between kids and adult goats via Chi-squared tests. Kids consumed fewer plant species than adult goats, but total DMI was similar between kids and adult goats (52.5 ± 5.1 and 51 ± 5 g DM/Kg LW^0.75; P > 0.05). The proportion of the DMI obtained from different life forms was also similar between kids and adult goats (35.3 % and 40.4 % from shrubs, 1.6 % and 2.1 % from dicot-herbaceous plants, 0.3 %, and 0.6 % from vines, and 62.8 % and 57.0 % from grasses, respectively). However, kids had less DMI from high strata than adult goats (14.6 % and 58.0 %) and more DMI from low strata (66.8 % and 24.5 %, P < 0.05), possibly due to their smaller height. Although inexperienced kids consumed fewer plant species than adult goats, the two groups of animals consumed similar proportions of shrubs and grass in their diets. In addition, kids consumed a smaller proportion of large bites than adult goats, most likely due to the smaller size of their mouths (P < 0.0001). Overall, the differences in feeding behavior between kids and adult goats seem related to zoometric differences, but the browsing experience of adult goats should also be considered.

View all citing articles on Scopus

View full text

Feeding behavior of sheep and goats in a deciduous tropical forest during the dry season: The same menu consumed differently

Highlights

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Study site

Plants consumed

Plant contribution to the daily DMI

Plants consumed

Plant contribution to the daily DMI

Conclusion

Conflict of interest

Acknowledgements

Small Rumin. Res.

Small Rumin. Res.

Small Rumin. Res.

Rangel. Ecol. Manag.

Small Rumin. Res.

For. Ecol. Manag.

App. Anim. Behav. Sci.

App. Anim. Behav. Sci.

Animal

Anim. Feed. Sci. Technol.

Vet. Parasitol.

J. Dairy Sci.

Small Rumin. Res.

Linking the dynamics of ruminant feeding behavior and dominant shrub responses on rangeland: forage resources renewal and biodiversity conservation

Environ. Res. J.

Observational study of behavior: sampling methods

Behaviour

Official Methods of Analysis

Composición Química Nutricional De Árboles Forrajeros. Compilación De Análisis De Laboratorio De Nutrición Animal

Productive performance and urinary excretion of mimosine metabolites by hair sheep grazing in a silvopastoral system with high densities of Leucaena leucocephala

Trop. Anim. Health Prod.

Continuous bite monitoring; a method to asses the foraging dynamics of herbivores in natural grazing conditions

Anim. Prod. Sci.

Effect of restricted grazing time on the foraging behavior and movement of Tan sheep grazed on desert steppe

Asian Australas. J. Anim. Sci.

Producción de Ovinos de Pelo Bajo Condiciones de Pastoreo Extensivo en el Norte de México