Influences of fallow age and season on the foraging behavior and diet selection pattern of goats (Capra hircus L.)

A study was undertaken to determine the foraging behavior and diet selection pattern of goats maintained on communal exclosures in relation to the influence of fallow age (years since effective protection initiated; < 8 years vs. > 12 years) and season (long rainy, dry, and short rainy seasons). The frequency of browsing was higher (P < 0.05) in the exclosures fallowed for > 12 years compared to those fallowed for < 8 years and this frequency was also highest during the short rainy season. More (P < 0.05) herbaceous bites were recorded in the < 8 years fallow exclosures, compared to the > 12 years fallow exclosures. Herbaceous species bites were maximized during the long rainy season whereas woody species bites were maximized during the dry season. The goats foraged upon 48 plant species of which 69% were woody species, 19% grasses, and the rest comprised of various forb species. The top species that significantly (P < 0.05) contributed to the diet of goats were Acacia etbaica, Balanites aegyptica, Cadaba farinosa, Capparis tomentosa, Dichrostachys cinerea, and Ocimum forskolei. The goats targeted taller woody species than the average of the exclosures. Maurea angolensis, Jasminium abyssinicum, C. farinosa, and Ormocarpum pubescence were among the preferred species that appeared to be on the verge of disappearance in most of the exclosures investigated in this study and require immediate attention. Using goats to reduce the threat of potential bush infestation appears to be a viable option for managing and sustaining production from exclosures since the goats showed preference for D. cinerea, the species considered a prolific invader plant. There is, however, a need to conduct further research on the impacts of direct browsing by the goats and this should also entail the determination of optimum number of goats/unit area. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.