Spanish Goat Diets on Mixed-Brush Rangeland in the South Texas Plains

Abstract

Microhistological analysis of feces from Spanish goats (Capra hircus) grazing in a mixed-brush complex in the South Texas Plains indicated that shrubs were their major foods during autumn, winter, and summer. Grasses were the major diet item during spring. Forbs, which were relatively scarce due to poor growing conditions during the 13-month study, were of minor importance in goat diets. The importance in Spanish goat diets of several problem brush species, including blackbrush acacia (Acacia rigidula), condalias (Condalia spp.), guajillo (Acacia berlandieri), guayacan (Porliera angustifolia), and wolfberry (Lycium berlandieri), suggests a potential for utilizing these animals in conjunction with other brush management practices for more effective shrub control and for increasing efficiency of forage utilization on mixed-brush rangeland.