Seasonal changes in feed intake, diet digestibility and diet composition by lactating and non-lactating goats browsing in a semi-arid rangeland of Argentina.

EGEA, A.V.; BAKKER, M.L.; ALLEGRETTI, L.; PAEZ LAMA, S.; GRILLI, D.; GUEVARA, J.C.; VILLALBA, J.J.

GRASS AND FORAGE SCIENCE (PRINT)

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2018 p. 1 - 14

0142-5242

We determined the seasonal nutrient and secondary compound intake, in vivo dietdigestibility (DD) and diet species composition of goats in different physiological states in a desert rangeland of Argentina. During the wet and the dry seasons, 24 mature female Creole goats (six non-lactating, non-pregnant and six lactating in each season) were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Diet botanical composition, DD and dry-matter intake (DMI) were estimated by the combined use of visual observation, microhistological analyses of faecal samples and n-alkane technique. Browse species dominated the goats? diets (>80%) in both seasons and physiological states, with a twofold increase in the proportion of forbs during the wet season (p