Sheep and goat browsing a tropical deciduous forest during the rainy season: why does similar plant species consumption result in different nutrient intake?
J. Ventura-Cordero A B , P. G. González-Pech A B C , J. F. J. Torres-Acosta A , C. A. Sandoval-Castro A and J. Tun-Garrido A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A FMVZ, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, P.O. 97100, Apdo. 4-116 Itzimná, Mérida, Yucatán, México.
B Centro Multidisciplinario de Educación, Ciencia y Cultura, Calle 15a No148 Brisas de Chuburná, P.O. 97200, Mérida, Yucatán, México.
C Corresponding author. Email: petergonz@hotmail.com
Animal Production Science 59(1) 66-72 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN16512
Submitted: 26 November 2015 Accepted: 18 September 2017 Published: 5 December 2017
Abstract
During the rainy season, the tropical deciduous forest (TDF) supposedly represents an abundance of biomass for sheep and goats. Nevertheless, quantitative estimations of feed intake during the rainy season are lacking. This study investigated the feeding behaviour of sheep and goats in a TDF in Mexico and quantified their nutrient intake during the rainy season. Plant species (PS) consumed, size and weight of bites, and nutritional quality were determined by continuous bite monitoring through direct observation. Adult ewes (n = 3) and goats (n = 3) were observed in their grazing circuits (4 h/day) for 12 days during the rainy season. Sheep and goats consumed 61 PS and performed a similar median number of bites (1751 vs 2053 bites/day, respectively; P > 0.05). Although they shared 52.5% of the PS consumed, only seven PS contributed most of the dry matter intake (DMI) for sheep (96.7%) or goats (90.5%). Sheep consumed more grass than goats (79.8% vs 48.3% of their DMI, respectively), whereas goats ate more shrubs than sheep (30.0% vs 7.6% of their DMI, respectively). The diet ingested by goats included more polyphenols (P < 0.05) and a higher frequency of larger and heavier bites than sheep (P < 0.05). Sheep reached 61.3% and 57.7% of their metabolisable energy and crude protein maintenance requirements. Similarly, goats covered 63.3% of their metabolisable energy and 108.2% of crude protein requirement. Although the main ration of sheep and goats was composed of similar PS, their different feeding behaviour resulted in different macronutrient consumption.
Additional keywords: grazing behaviour, heterogeneous vegetation, small ruminants.
References
AFRC (1993) ‘Energy and protein requirements of ruminants.’ (CAB International: Wallingford UK)Agreil C, Meuret M (2004) An improved method for quantifying intake rate and ingestive behaviour of ruminants in diverse and variable habitats using direct observation. Small Ruminant Research 54, 99–113.
| An improved method for quantifying intake rate and ingestive behaviour of ruminants in diverse and variable habitats using direct observation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Alonso-Díaz MA, Torres-Acosta JFJ, Sandoval-Castro CA, Capetillo-Leal CM (2012) Amino acid profile of the protein from whole saliva of goats and sheep and its interaction with tannic acid and tannins extracted from the fodder of tropical plants. Small Ruminant Research 103, 69–74.
| Amino acid profile of the protein from whole saliva of goats and sheep and its interaction with tannic acid and tannins extracted from the fodder of tropical plants.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Animut G, Goetsch AL (2008) Co-grazing of sheep and goats: Benefits and constraints. Small Ruminant Research 77, 127–145.
| Co-grazing of sheep and goats: Benefits and constraints.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Association of Official Analytical Chemists (1980) ‘Official methods of analysis.’ 13th edition. (AOAC: Washington, DC)
Barros-Rodríguez M, Solorio-Sánchez J, Ku-Vera J, Ayala-Burgos A, Sandoval-Castro C, Solíz-Pérez G (2012) Productive performance and urinary excretion of mimosine metabolites by hair sheep grazing in a silvopastoral system with high densities of Leucaena leucocephala. Tropical Animal Health and Production 44, 1873–1878.
| Productive performance and urinary excretion of mimosine metabolites by hair sheep grazing in a silvopastoral system with high densities of Leucaena leucocephala.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bonnet O, Hagenah N, Hebbelmann L, Meuret M, Shrader AM (2011) Is hand plucking an accurate method of estimating bite mass and instantaneous intake of grazing herbivores? Rangeland Ecology and Management 64, 366–374.
| Is hand plucking an accurate method of estimating bite mass and instantaneous intake of grazing herbivores?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bonnet O, Meuret M, Tischler MR, Cezimbra IM, Azambuja JC, Carvalho PCF (2015) Continuous bite monitoring: a method to assess the foraging dynamics of herbivores in natural grazing conditions. Animal Production Science 55, 339–349.
| Continuous bite monitoring: a method to assess the foraging dynamics of herbivores in natural grazing conditions.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Chen Y, Luo H, Liu X, Zhang Y, Liu K, Jiao L, Chang Y, Zuo Z (2013) Effect of restricted grazing time on the foraging behavior and movement of Tan sheep grazed on desert steppe. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 26, 711–715.
| Effect of restricted grazing time on the foraging behavior and movement of Tan sheep grazed on desert steppe.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
de Montellano C, Vargas-Magaña JJ, Aguilar-Caballero AJ, Sandoval-Castro CA, Cob-Galera LA, May-Martínez M, Miranda-Soberanis R, Hoste H, Cámara-Sarmiento R, Torres-Acosta JFJ (2007) Combining the effects of supplementary feeding and copper oxide needles for the control of gastrointestinal nematodes in browsing goats. Veterinary Parasitology 146, 66–76.
| Combining the effects of supplementary feeding and copper oxide needles for the control of gastrointestinal nematodes in browsing goats.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
De Vries WMF (1995) Estimating forage intake and quality in grazing cattle: a reconsideration of the hand-plucking method. Journal of Range Management 48, 370–375.
| Estimating forage intake and quality in grazing cattle: a reconsideration of the hand-plucking method.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
El Aich A, El Assouli N, Fathi A, Morand-Fehr P, Bourbouze A (2007) Ingestive behavior of goats grazing in the Southwestern Argan (Argania spinosa) forest of Morocco. Small Ruminant Research 70, 248–256.
| Ingestive behavior of goats grazing in the Southwestern Argan (Argania spinosa) forest of Morocco.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Esqueda-Coronado MH, Gutiérrez-Ronquillo MC (2009) ‘Producción de ovinos de pelo bajo condiciones de pastoreo extensivo en el norte de México.’ (INIFAP: Chihuahua, México)
Faul F, Erdfelder E, Lang AG, Buchner A (2007) G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral and biomedical sciences. Behavior Research Methods 39, 175–191.
| G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral and biomedical sciences.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Flores SJ, Vermont-Ricalde MR, Kantún-Balam MJ (2006) Leguminosae diversity in the Yucatan Peninsula and its importance for sheep and goats feeding. In ‘Herbivores: the assessment of intake, digestibility and the roles of secondary compounds’. (Eds CA Sandoval-Castro, FD de B Hovell, JFJ Torres-Acosta, A Ayala-Burgos) pp. 291–299. (Nottingham University Press: Nottingham, UK)
Franco-Guerra FJ, Gómez-Castro AG, Hernández-Hernández JE, Camacho-Ronquillo JC, Espino-Barros OAV, Rojas-Ortega VH (2009) Evolución del hábito alimentario en cabras criollas bajo condiciones silvopastoriles en la mixteca oaxaqueña. In ‘Producción Animal y Desarrollo Sustentable en Rumiantes’. (Eds FJ Franco-Guerra, JE Hernández-Hernández, OAV Espino-Barros, JC Camacho-Ronquillo) pp. 29–35. (Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla: Puebla, México)
Gárate-Gallardo L, Torres-Acosta JFJ, Aguilar-Caballero AJ, Sandoval-Castro CA, Cámara-Sarmiento R, Canul-Ku HL (2015) Comparing different maize supplementation strategies to improve resilience and resistance against gastrointestinal nematode infections in browsing goats. Parasite (Paris, France) 22, 19
| Comparing different maize supplementation strategies to improve resilience and resistance against gastrointestinal nematode infections in browsing goats.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
González-Pech PG, Torres-Acosta JFJ, Sandoval-Castro CA (2014) Adapting a bite coding grid for small ruminants browsing a deciduous tropical forest. Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems 17, 63–70.
González-Pech PG, Torres-Acosta JFJ, Sandoval-Castro CA, Tun-Garrido J (2015) Feeding behavior of sheep and goats in a deciduous tropical forest during the dry season: the same menu consumed differently. Small Ruminant Research 133, 128–134.
| Feeding behavior of sheep and goats in a deciduous tropical forest during the dry season: the same menu consumed differently.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hofmann RR (1989) Evolutionary steps of ecophysiological adaptations and diversification of ruminants: a comparative view of their digestive system. Oecologia 78, 443–457.
| Evolutionary steps of ecophysiological adaptations and diversification of ruminants: a comparative view of their digestive system.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC1czotVKrsw%3D%3D&md5=be73aadc4f09e8d1a701848f0d9a1d9aCAS |
Mertens DR (2002) Gravimetric determination of amylase-treated neutral detergent fiber in feeds with refluxing beakers or crucibles: collaborative study. Journal of Association of Official Analytical Chemists International 85, 1217–1240.
Ortega-Reyes L (1985) Composición química y digestibilidad de la dieta de ovinos pelibuey bajo condiciones de libre pastoreo en un henequenal de Yucatán, México. Técnica Pecuaria en México 48, 17–23.
Parsons AJ, Newman JA, Penning PD, Harvey A, Orr RJ (1994) Diet preference of sheep: effects of recent diet, physiological state and species abundance. Journal of Animal Ecology 63, 465–478.
| Diet preference of sheep: effects of recent diet, physiological state and species abundance.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Penning PD, Parsons AJ, Newman JA, Orr RJ, Harvey A (1993) The effects of group size on grazing time in sheep. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 37, 101–109.
| The effects of group size on grazing time in sheep.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Price ML, Van Scoyoc S, Buttler LG (1978) A critical evaluation of the vanillin reaction assay for tannin in sorghum grain. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 26, 1214–1218.
| A critical evaluation of the vanillin reaction assay for tannin in sorghum grain.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaE1cXls1Wmurc%3D&md5=d794cdce4b90e181425658f958dc92cdCAS |
R Development Core Team (2013) ‘R: A language and environment for statistical computing.’ (R Foundation for Statistical Computing: Vienna, Austria) Available at http://www.R-project.org/ [Verified July 2016]
Ramírez-Lozano RG (2006) Nutritional characteristics of browse species from Northeastern Mexico consumed by small ruminants. In ‘Herbivores: the assessment of intake, digestibility and the roles of secondary compounds’. (Eds CA Sandoval-Castro, FD de B Hovell, JFJ Torres-Acosta, A Ayala-Burgos) pp. 251–260. (Nottingham University Press: Nottingham, UK)
Rios G, Riley JA (1985a) Preliminary studies on the utilization of the natural vegetation in the henequen zone of Yucatán for the production of goats I. Selection and nutritive value of native plants. Tropical Animal Production 10, 1–10.
Rios G, Riley JA (1985b) Preliminary studies on the utilization of the natural vegetation in the henequen zone of Yucatán for the production of goats. II: The effect of supplementation with protein and/or energy. Tropical Animal Production 10, 11–18.
Roa-Fuentes LL, Campo J, Parra-Tabla V (2012) Plant biomass allocation across a precipitation gradient: an approach to seasonally dry tropical forest at Yucatan, Mexico. Ecosystems 15, 1234–1244.
| Plant biomass allocation across a precipitation gradient: an approach to seasonally dry tropical forest at Yucatan, Mexico.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Torres-Acosta JFJ, Jacobs DE, Aguilar-Caballero A, Sandoval-Castro C, May-Martínez M, Cob-Galera LA (2004) The effect of supplementary feeding on the resilience and resistance of browsing Criollo kids against natural gastrointestinal nematode infections during the rainy season in tropical Mexico. Veterinary Parasitology 124, 217–238.
| The effect of supplementary feeding on the resilience and resistance of browsing Criollo kids against natural gastrointestinal nematode infections during the rainy season in tropical Mexico.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BD2cvntFemtg%3D%3D&md5=80b9c757d51a35d6b2a51369f1a2e5ebCAS |
Van Soest PJ (1994) ‘Nutritional ecology of the ruminant.’ 2nd edn. (Comstock: Ithaca, NY)
Ventura-Cordero J, Sandoval-Castro CA, Torres-Acosta JFJ, Capetillo-Leal CM (2017) Do goats have a salivary constitutive response to tannins? Journal of Applied Animal Research 45, 29–34.
| Do goats have a salivary constitutive response to tannins?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC2MXhslyms7fJ&md5=23a4aeb3408e0814971f6059d97ea1d6CAS |
Wang Y, Waghorn GC, MacNabb WC, Barry TN, Hedley MJ, Shelton ID (1996) Effect of condensed tannins in Lotus corniculatus upon digestion of methionine and cysteine in the small intestine of sheep. The Journal of Agricultural Science 127, 413–421.
Wheeler MH, Camp BJ (1971) Inhibitory and uncoupling actions of extracts from Karwinskia humboldtiana on respiration and oxidative phosphorylation. Life Sciences 10, 41–51.
| Inhibitory and uncoupling actions of extracts from Karwinskia humboldtiana on respiration and oxidative phosphorylation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DyaE3M7ot1eiuw%3D%3D&md5=b2cea1c4bb15c2d53fdac902464d6809CAS |
Yiakoulaki MD, Zarovali MP, Papanastasis VP (2009) Foraging behavior of sheep and goats grazing on silvopastoral systems in Northern Greece. In ‘Nutritional and foraging ecology of sheep and goats’. (Eds TG Papachristou, ZM Parissi, H Ben Salem, P Morand-Fehr) pp. 79–84. (CIHEAM/FAO/NAGREF Publishing: Zaragoza, Spain)
