J. Anim Sci.
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kronberg, S. L.
Right arrow Articles by Malechek, J. C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kronberg, S. L.
Right arrow Articles by Malechek, J. C.

Journal of Animal Science, Vol 75, Issue 7 1756-1763, Copyright © 1997 by American Society of Animal Science

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Relationships between nutrition and foraging behavior of free-ranging sheep and goats

S. L. Kronberg and J. C. Malechek
Department of Animal and Range Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings 57007, USA.

Goats generally tolerate dry season forage conditions in northeastern Brazil's tropical deciduous woodland better than sheep do, but the mechanisms underlying sheep and goat response to wet and dry season conditions are not well understood. We evaluated aspects of nutrition and behavior of free-ranging sheep and goats in this woodland to improve our understanding of these mechanisms. Body weight changes, dietary botanical and chemical composition, and daily activities were measured for sheep and goats that foraged in this woodland during four defined periods of a year. Vegetation available to these animals was also measured. Although there was much less available vegetation during the wet season than during the dry season, body weights and dietary crude protein content of sheep and goats increased during the wet season and decreased during the dry season. During the four periods of the year, weight changes of sheep, and possibly those of goats, were positively related to the content of crude protein in their diets. Foraging times of sheep and goats were generally greater during the dry season than during the wet season and were positively related to available browse and inversely related to dietary crude protein content. Sheep and goats may have foraged longer during the dry periods because they were spending more time searching through the large quantity of low-quality vegetation for dietary items with relatively higher levels of crude protein.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J ANIM SCIHome page
J. Rogosic, J. A. Pfister, F. D. Provenza, and J. Pavlicevic
The effect of polyethylene glycol on intake of Mediterranean shrubs by sheep and goats
J Anim Sci, December 1, 2008; 86(12): 3491 - 3496.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J ANIM SCIHome page
J. J. Villalba, F. D. Provenza, and R. E. Banner
Influence of macronutrients and polyethylene glycol on intake of a quebracho tannin diet by sheep and goats
J Anim Sci, December 1, 2002; 80(12): 3154 - 3164.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J ANIM SCIHome page
J. J. Villalba, F. D. Provenza, and R. E. Banner
Influence of macronutrients and activated charcoal on intake of sagebrush by sheep and goats
J Anim Sci, August 1, 2002; 80(8): 2099 - 2109.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1997 by the American Society of Animal Science.