Ingestive behavior and feeding preference of goats reared in degraded caatinga

Luiza Daiana Araújo Da Silva Formiga,Edilson Paes Saraiva,Paula Frassinetti Medeiros De Paulo,Meiry Rodrigues Cassuce,Albericio Pereira De Andrade,Divan Soares Da Silva

doi:10.1590/1809-6891v21e-52435

Abstract

Abstract This study aimed to assess the ingestive behavior and feeding preference of goats reared in degraded Caatinga (dry tropical forest) during three seasons: transition (rainy-dry), dry, and rainy seasons. The experiment was carried out at the UFPB Experimental Station in São João do Cariri, PB, Brazil. Six male goats kept on pasture with an area of 3.2 hectares were used. The animals were assessed through continuous visual observation. The experimental design was completely randomized, with three treatments (rainy-dry, dry, and rainy seasons) and six replications (animals). Means were submitted to the Tukey test at a 5% level. The time www.revistas.ufq.br/vet spent by animals during the transition season (rainy-dry) had to cite in the article page. similarities for the selected grasses, herbaceous/sub-shrub plants, litter, and shrub/ tree plants, except for bromeliads and cacti. The animals spent longer grazing time consuming grasses at the rainy season. During this season, marmeleiro (Croton hemiargyreus Mill. Arg.) was the most selected species in relation to catingueira (Caesalpinia pyramidalis Tul.) and pereiro (Aspidosperma pyrifolium Mart.). The time spent for grazing activity during the transition season (rainy-dry) was longer than the rainy and dry season. Goats reared extensively in the Caatinga have high plasticity in their eating habits and can behave as grazing or browsing animals.

Highlights

Food availability in the Brazilian semiarid region is highly variable in time and space
Litter becomes the main diet of goats during the dry season due to leaf abscission of forage species.(1) little mentioned in the literature, litter intake by animals is a reality in the Brazilian semiarid, and it should be taken into account when assessing food availability
The time spent of 720 minutes for grazing activity in the transition season was, on average, 400 minutes or 56.84%, which is statistically longer than the rainy season (335 minutes or 46.59%), but similar to the dry season (380 minutes or 52.77%) (Figure 1)

Summary

Introduction

Food availability in the Brazilian semiarid region is highly variable in time and space. The Caatinga enables high diversification of fresh food supply. Litter becomes the main diet of goats during the dry season due to leaf abscission of forage species.(1) little mentioned in the literature, litter intake by animals is a reality in the Brazilian semiarid, and it should be taken into account when assessing food availability. Considering the complexity of assessing forage availability in native pasture areas in the semiarid region, it is essential to conduct studies on their quantification but on how animals behave under grazing conditions. Studies on Caatinga used for livestock purposes should take into account the high variability of forage availability and supply. Continuous stocking adoption, common in the semiarid region of Brazil, is not in sync with the increasing rate of forage supply, resulting in considerable quantitative and qualitative forage losses.(2)

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Conclusion