Forage Availability and Quality, and Feeding Behaviour of Indigenous Goats Grazing in a Mediterranean Silvopastoral System

The aim of this study was to study the feeding behaviour of indigenous goats and the selection drivers of different plant species in a Mediterranean forest rangeland. To achieve this goal, the seasonal variations in terms of forage availability and quality of ingested plant species were studied during three grazing seasons. In the same period, eight indigenous goats of Beni Arouss breed were selected to explore the seasonal changes in their browsing behaviour. Forage quality was determined by the hand-plucking technique. The results showed a wide seasonal variation in forage availability and quality, and feeding behaviour. Woody species were more selected independently of the season (p < 0.001). The crude protein content varied from 53.3 g/kg of dry mater (DM) for Erica arborea in summer to 197 g/kg DM for Calicotome villosa in autumn (p < 0.001). Despite the high condensed tannins content in selected shrubs, they were highly consumed. In vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) and metabolizable energy (ME) had recorded the highest contents in herbaceous during spring. Shrubs and trees contain the lowest levels of IVOMD (<500 g/kg) and ME (<7.2 MJ/kg) during autumn and summer. It is concluded that seasonal changes in forage availability and quality did not necessarily affect the indigenous goats’ preference. These findings could help goat herders to develop feeding and grazing systems while increasing the performance of goats in the Mediterranean silvopastoral system.

Rotational grazing increases purple prairie clover frequency in the rangeland plant communities under semi-arid environment

Purple prairie clover (PPC, Dalea purpurea Vent.) is a grazing tolerant perennial legume with good nutritional quality and is widely distributed across North America. Deferred rotational grazing (DR) and continuous grazing (CG) are the most widespread grazing systems on North American grasslands. We conducted a 10-year grazing study to assess the effects of environmental factors and grazing on the frequency of PPC in plant communities. The results showed that the frequency of PPC decreased and then increased with increasing precipitation under CG (P<0.05), while there was no significant change under DR (P>0.05). Meanwhile, PPC frequency increased with temperature under DR (P<0.05), but did not change under CG (P>0.05). Both grazing systems and the number of grazing years had a significant effect on PPC frequency (P<0.05), and there is no interaction between those two factors (P>0.05). We found that from 2011 to 2020, the growth rate of PPC population is 18.24% and 11.69% per year under DR and CG grazing, respectively. Moreover, after 10 years of grazing, the PPC increase in DR was 22.86% higher than that of CG. Thus, selecting the DR grazing system can increase PPC and is an effective practice for coping with environmental changes.

An Exploration of Environmentally Sustainable Practices Associated with Alternative Grazing Management System Use for Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Mules in the UK

Equestrian grazing management is a poorly researched area, despite potentially significant environmental impacts. This study explored keepers’ use of alternative grazing systems in the care of UK horses, donkeys and mules through an internet survey. The survey was available during the summer of 2020 and comprised closed and open questions, which were analysed with descriptive statistics and iterative thematic analysis, respectively. A total of 758 responses was incorporated into the analysis; the most popular system used were tracks (56.5%), Equicentral (19%), “other” (e.g., non-grass turnout) (12.5%), rewilding (7.5%) and turnout on either moorland (0.7%) or woodland (2.5%). The thematic analysis highlighted that equid keepers across the systems were highly engaged in exploring sustainable practices. Their approaches varied according to each system, yet all aimed to fulfil practices in three major categories, i.e., supporting diverse plant life (usually through restricting equid access to certain areas), supporting wildlife (through the creation of biodiverse environments) and sustainably managing droppings and helminths. Additionally, proponents of the Equicentral systems declared to be aiming to support soil health. These data provide a promising insight into equid keepers’ behaviour and attitudes to sustainability.

Characteristics of robust animals for grass-based production systems

A characterisation of dairy, beef and sheep breeds and/or strains best suited to profitable/sustainable production within the context of European [semi] intensive pasture-based systems is presented. To deliver optimal performance, pasture must be managed effectively, but pasture-based systems are less energy intensive, are climate sensitive and induce challenges and constraints not normally posed to animals in intensive feeding environments. This emphasises the importance of animal traits associated with robustness and adaptive abilities. A survey of French dairy farmers concluded that a robust cow is an “invisible” cow with a long lifetime. The traits common to both indoor and grazing systems include: efficient converters of feed to human edible products, functionality, being healthy, reproductively fit and exhibiting longevity. Unique to successful grazing is the capability to achieve large intakes of forage to meet productive potential, an ability to adapt to fluctuating feed supply and, in seasonal systems, the ability to conceive and give birth at the appropriate time each year, usually within 365 d. The breed or strain of choice may differ based on local management constraints and objectives; however, general principles apply, and ideally should be guided by a suitable selection index combining all of the economically important traits appropriate to the local conditions and systems.

Prevalence of Brucellosis in Cattle under Different Management Systems in Mbale District, Eastern Region of Uganda

The research study was conducted on prevalence of Brucellosis in cattle under different management systems in Mbale District, Eastern Region of Uganda. The research design adopted was a purposive sampling. 48 respondents from different farms were selected using a random sampling to allow equal representation of the farms. The data were collected using both blood samples and questionnaires. A total of 78 serum samples collected from different cattle were serologically assessed using Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and Serum Agglutination Test (SAT). The high sero-prevalence of 37.5% was recorded in female cows followed by male bulls (20.0%) and female calves (20.0%). Bull calves and heifers showed negative result with RBPT and SAT (0.0%). A total of 24(30.7%) and 22(28.2%) were recorded for RBPT and SAT respectively. However, although there was higher prevalence of Brucellosis in communal grazing than the rest of other grazing systems, there was no statistical significant difference between Brucellosis and grazing systems (p>0.05). Similarly, considering the type of breeding methods of fertilization, there was a statistically significant relationship between the type of breeding (artificial and natural insemination) methods and management system practiced (p<0.05). The study concluded that contamination of common grazing environment was due to aborted foetuses which is accompanied by shedding of large number of Brucella species and that there was lack of knowledge on the causative agents, as well as mode of transmission. The researchers recommend that cattle grazing systems that limit mixing of herds should be encouraged to reduce the contamination of common grazing environment.

Relative Impact and Analysis of Composition of Goat Milk by Stall-Feeding System and Rearing with Grazing System of Goats

In many regions of the world, goat milk and its milk products have played a major role in economic viability, particularly in developing countries like India. In terms of getting milk products high in minerals and other protein, the importance of free grazing still prevails and is preferred over stall feeding, but both ways are good in general. With the importance of the above in mind, an approach has been taken in the current study to compare the yield of milk from goats using a stall-feeding system and a free grazing system. Our findings show that milk minerals such as Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, and Sodium are higher in stall-feeding goat systems than in free grazing systems because stall-feeding provides a computed ration – Minerals, Common salt, mineral mixture, concentrate feeding, feed additives, and feed supplement. As a result, milk minerals are higher in stall-feeding goat systems than in free grazing goat systems. Lactose levels are higher in stall-feeding systems than in open grazing systems because leguminous feeds like as lucerne and bersim grasses, as well as green forages, are used. Because they graze freely in the environment and consume various types of feeds, fat percentage is higher in the free grazing system of goats than in the stall-feeding system. Since stall-feeding systems provide feed supplement and concentrate feeding, fat soluble vitamins are higher in stall-feeding systems than in free grazing systems, which is why fat-soluble vitamins are higher in stall-feeding systems of goats.