Comparative Digestive Efficiency and Feed Intake of the Collared Peccary

Abstract

TWO digestion trials were conducted with six adult collared peccaries (Tayassu tajacu) to determine the effect of diet on digestive efficiency. Digestive efficiency of all nutrients except either extract was higher (P 0.05) for both diets and exceeded maintenance requirements. Mean rate of digesta passage of the high fiber diet was 52.5 h. The peccaries digested fiber efficiently, which we attribute to the slow rate of digesta passage. Mean daily feed intake was higher (P < 0.01) during a four week summer period than during a four week winter period. The collared peccary (Dicotyles tajacu, L., 1758) is an inhabitant of desert and rangelands of south Texas, extreme southern New Mexico, and southern Arizona. Its range extends south into Central and South America. This game animal is of interest for hunting as well as for its aesthetic value as a unique, New World species. The peccary has not been as thoroughly studied as many other North American game species. It is chiefly herbivorous, consuming mostly succulent plant parts and fruits, and at times consuming large amounts of prickly pear cactus (Opuntia engelmannii) (Jennings and Harris, 1953; Neal, 1959; Eddy, 1961; Everitt et al., 1981; Corn and Warren, 1985a). Aspects of the peccary's nutrition studied thus far include: volatile fatty acid production, comparative digestive efficiency, energy requirements, protein requirements, the effects of physiological status on digestive efficiency and variation in nutritional indices (Dyson, 1969; Shively, 1979; Zervanos and Handley, 1973; Carl and Brown, 1985; Gallagher et al., 1984; Corn and Warren, 1985b; Lochmiller et al., 1985). The peccary is monogastric; however, it has a large, segmented stomach and may digest fiber in a manner similar to ruminants (Langer, 1978, 1979). This study compared the peccary's feed intake in summer and winter, and the digestibility of two diets of different fiber content. Rate of digesta passage was determined with an inert indicator. This basic nutritional knowledge may give insight as to the peccary's impact on rangeland and allow its comparison to other species of herbivores. MATERIALS AND METHODS-All peccaries used in this study were hand reared and accustomed to handling by humans. Daily intake of a custom mixed, pelleted deer ration (Wheaton and Brown, 1983) was determined for four adult peccaries, 1.5 years of age. We compared a 4-week winter intake period (Dec-Jan) to a 4-week summer intake period (Aug). The animals were kept in outdoor, roofed, individual pens 2.5 X 2.5 m. Feed was provided ad libitum in a small hog feeder mounted on the door of each pen. Orts were taken every three days or sooner if the pellets in any feeder were crushed. Water was provided to each pen by a tab-activated hog waterer. Average daily feed consumption for each animal was calculated from weekly intakes. Peccaries were weighed at the beginning and end of each trial to determine feed intake per unit body weight. If there was a weight change, the average weight was used for the two weeks in the middle of the month. THE SOUTHWESTERN NATURALIST 31(1):79-85 MARCH 31, 1986 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.136 on Thu, 19 May 2016 04:40:18 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 80 The Southwestern Naturalist vol. 31, no. 1 TABLE I-Proximate and Van Soest analysis of 2 rations used for the comparison of digestive efficiencies of 6 collared peccaries. Analysis (%)' Hog ration Deer ration