Supplemental polyethylene glycol influences preferences of goats browsing blackbrush
Issue Date
2001-03-01Keywords
Coleogyne ramosissimawoody weeds
polyethylene glycol
nutrient content
stems
brush control
selective grazing
tannins
goats
Juniperus
feeding preferences
zero grazing
tannins
macronutrients
intake
shrubs
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Titus, C. H., Provenza, F. D., Perevolotsky, A., Silanikove, N., & Rogosic, J. (2001). Supplemental polyethylene glycol influences preferences of goats browsing blackbrush. Journal of Range Management, 54(2), 161-165.Publisher
Society for Range ManagementJournal
Journal of Range ManagementAdditional Links
https://rangelands.org/Abstract
Supplemental polyethylene glycol (PEG) increases intake of foods high in tannins, but it is not known if PEG affects preference when herbivores forage on a variety of foods that differ in concentrations of macronutrients and tannins. We investigated how macronutrients, tannins, and PEG affected preferences of goats (Caprus hircus) for current season's and older growth twigs from the shrub blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima Torr.). In blackbrush, current season's twigs are higher than older twigs in macronutrients, but goats prefer older twigs because high levels of tannins in current season's twigs decrease preference. We conducted a pen trial and a paddock trial. During the 7-day pen trial, goats were offered current season's twigs and older twigs throughout the day. Eight goats were supplemented with 20 g PEG mixed with 100 g ground alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) pellets, and 8 goats were supplemented with 100 g ground alfalfa pellets. Goats supplemented with PEG ate more current season's twigs than goats that did not receive PEG (P = 0.04). During the 17-day paddock trial, 10 goats were supplemented with 50 g PEG mixed with ground alfalfa/barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and 10 goats were supplemented with ground alfalfa/barley. Goats supplemented with PEG preferred current season's to older twigs, whereas PEG-unsupplemented goats preferred older to current season's twigs (P = 0.0001). Goats had equal preference for juniper (Juniperus osteosperma Torr.) trees (P = 0.243). Collectively, our findings show that supplemental PEG can change food preferences.Type
textArticle
Language
enISSN
0022-409Xae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.2307/4003177