Diet selection by goats on a semi-arid shrubland in central Argentina

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine diet selection by goats on a semi-arid shrubland in the central part of Argentina. Ten goats grazed on a pasture for 10-days periods in winter, spring, and summer. The botanical composition of the pasture was estimated by a combined measure of cover and biomass, whereas the botanical composition of the diet was determined by the microhistological technique complemented with direct observation. Two shrub species (<i>Condalia microphylla</i> and <i>Prosopis caldenia</i>) and five soft grasses (<i>Piptochaetium napostaense</i>, <i>Poa spp</i>., <i>Stipa tennis</i>, <i>S. clarazii</i>, and <i>Pappophorum spp</i>.) were highly selected by goats. Shrubs represented 32%, 40% and 74% of goat diets in winter, spring and summer, respectively. For each season, the rest of goat diets was composed by the soft grasses. Although coarse grasses represented most (> 80%) of the available biomass in all seasons, they were always highly avoided by goats. The results showed that goats behave as mixed-feeders (eat grasses and shrubs) on semi-arid shrublands in central Argentina.