Small East African goats (191) were observed for over 3 months while foraging in their natural environment. The vegetation composition of 48 plots measuring 10 x 10 m was assessed quantitatively. From recordings of feed selection and vegetation availability, preference indices were calculated for groups and individual plant species. Green vegetation covered 79% of the total sample area in the wet and 40% in the dry season. Goats spent 33 and 37% of their grazing time actively eating in the wet and dry period, respectively. The average preference index for browse was stable, whereas it declined considerably for grass with progressive dryness. Animals gained weight throughout the experiment. Highest variability was found in acid detergent lignin (ADL) of foraged browse species. Digestibility in vitro of organic matter (IVOMD) varied from 38 to 65% and content of metabolizable energy (ME) from 5.2 to 9.7 MJ kg-1 DM. Goats selected a ration containing 13.5% crude protein and 7.24 MJ ME in DM. No significant correlations were found between IVOMD, ME and preference index. Multiple correlation for crude fat and hemicellulose with preference index was highly significant (r2 = 0.67, n = 21). The ranking order for browse emerging from in vitro results did not match with animals' choice.
Journal articles from the Grassland Society of Southern Africa (GSSA) African Journal of Range and Forage Science as well as related articles and reports from throughout the southern African region.