Seasonal effect on the ingestive behavior and forage intake of goats in coastal scrubland
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62452/8se4sa90Keywords:
Goats, dry forest, seasonality, ingestive behavior, grazingAbstract
The effect of season (dry vs. rainy) on the behavior and plant species consumed by goats in an extensive Cuban dry forest system was evaluated. The study was conducted at "El Rincón" farm, Cumanayagua, Cienfuegos, Cuba. Nine adult Creole goats were observed for three days per season using 10-minute focal sampling per animal. Activities were recorded and plant species consumed were identified. Activity times were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Forage intake was the predominant activity in both seasons (82-83% of daytime). Water intake time was higher in the dry season (5.0 min) than in the rainy season (0.1 min; p = 0.004). Forage intake was significantly higher in the dry season (4.2 min) than in the rainy season (3.0 min; p = 0.032), while lying rumination decreased in the dry season (2.4 vs. 3.2 min; p = 0.048) and exploration increased (3.6 vs. 2.0 min; p = 0.018). Consumption of Guazuma ulmifolia and Cynodon nlemfuensis was higher in the rainy season, while Amaranthus spinosus was consumed more in the dry season. It is concluded that seasonality profoundly modifies goat behavior, with compensatory strategies in the dry season that require adaptive management measures.
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