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Timahdit sheep production and behavior at three stocking rates in the Moyen Atlas of Morocco
Author
El Aich, A.
Rittenhouse, L. R.
El Khamkhami, S.
Mhand, T. A.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
1990-09-01
Body

Liveweight (LW) changes and behavior of growing rams were measured in 1981, 1982, 1985, and 1986 at the Timahdit Experiment Station in the Middle Atlas, Morocco, at stocking rates of 2.78, 4.17, and 6.67 rams/ha during the growing season. Maximum animal production would have occurred at a stocking rate greater than any imposed in the study in all years except 1982. Increased variable costs should drive stocking rates down while increased selling price would provide an incentive to increase stocking rates. Mean grazing time of animals stocked at tight, moderate, and heavy rates was 410, 436, and 504 minutes/day, respectively. Mean resting time was 206, 174, and 106 minutes/day, respectively. Rams under light, moderate, and heavy stocking rates walked 2.1, 2.4, and 3.1 km/day, respectively. Diet IVDMD was highest early in the grazing season and lowest in the nongrowing season, and was not affected by stocking rates. Early in the spring, diet diversity was low, increased during active growth, and then deciined as the season advanced. Selectivity was lowest when forage was abundant. Dry matter intake varied with season in 1985 but not 1986. There was less opportmdty to be adaptive under heavy than under light stocking, resulting in a stocking rate by season interaction in 1986. Under heavy stocking, forage intake (G/kg LW/min) was 61 and 83% of intake under light and moderate stocking, respectively, and forage intake per km walked was 71 and 84%, respectively This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020

Language
en
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.2307/3898997
Additional Information
El Aich, A., Rittenhouse, L. R., El Khamkhami, S., & Mhand, T. A. (1990). Timahdit sheep production and behavior at three stocking rates in the Moyen Atlas of Morocco. Journal of Range Management, 43(5), 390-396.
ISSN
0022-409X
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/644951
Journal Volume
43
Journal Number
5
Journal Pages
390-396
Collection
Rangeland Ecology & Management (REM)
Journal Name
Journal of Range Management
Keywords
rams
Morocco
selling prices
production costs
decision making
stocking rate
grazing intensity
diets
grazing behavior
in vitro digestibility
range management
forage
dry matter
feed intake