Publication Date

1985

Location

Kyoto Japan

Description

Esophageally fistulated sheep (Ovis aries) and goats (Capra hircus) were compared in relation to the composition and nutritive value of ingesta collected by grazing four pasture types. The pasture types are described as Improved Pasture, Unimproved Pasture, Unimproved Pasture with Low Scrub and High Scrub. The scrub consisted mainly of hawthorne (Crataegus sp.) and blackberry (Rubus sp.). Samples of herbage and esophageal extrusa were visually separated into four forage classes (legumes, grass, forbs/browse and dead material). A significant (P < .01) animal species x type of pasture interaction was evident in regard to the preference for the various forage classes. The goats consumed much larger proportions of browse than the sheep on the pastures containing scrub. Few differences were evident between goats and sheep in nutritive value of the ingesta within pasture type.

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Composition and Nutritive Value of Diets Selected by Sheep and Goats on Four Pasture Types

Kyoto Japan

Esophageally fistulated sheep (Ovis aries) and goats (Capra hircus) were compared in relation to the composition and nutritive value of ingesta collected by grazing four pasture types. The pasture types are described as Improved Pasture, Unimproved Pasture, Unimproved Pasture with Low Scrub and High Scrub. The scrub consisted mainly of hawthorne (Crataegus sp.) and blackberry (Rubus sp.). Samples of herbage and esophageal extrusa were visually separated into four forage classes (legumes, grass, forbs/browse and dead material). A significant (P < .01) animal species x type of pasture interaction was evident in regard to the preference for the various forage classes. The goats consumed much larger proportions of browse than the sheep on the pastures containing scrub. Few differences were evident between goats and sheep in nutritive value of the ingesta within pasture type.