Issues:
Sections:
Issue 90
GENERAL BIOLOGY
UDK: 574.36; 599.6, 599.73
FEEDING OF THE BEZOAR GOAT (CAPRA AEGAGRUS EXLEBEN, 1777) IN CONDITIONS OF FREE GRAZING IN THE UPPER REACHES OF THE AVAR KOISU
MAGOMEDOV Magomed-Rasul Dibirovich,
NASRULAEV Nasrula Israpilovich
In spring and summer period, feeding of the Bezoar goat in free grazing conditions was studied on various types of pastures in the upper reaches of the Avar Koisu river. The species composition and daily amount of consumed forage, daily weight gain and daily activity of the animals depending on the plant yield were studied. It is shown that the Bezoar goats preferred from 13 to 20 out of 90 plant species represented on the pastures. In the warm period of the year the consumption level in the isolated (protected) area reached up to 647,4±80,85 g compared to 478,0±43,4 g/individual/day/of dry matter on the pasture plot. The daily weight gain during the summer period reached 95 to 117 g per day in both areas. In accordance with different productivity of pastures (protected - 37,4±8,48 c/ha and grazing area - 7,84±1,31 c/ha), the duration of daily grazing increased respectively from 492,0±15,9 minutes in an isolated area and up to 691,0±14,7 minutes in the pasture area, with a total daily activity time of 1020 minutes (17 hours). Even such an increase in the duration of grazing did not fully compensate for the low rate of feed consumption in the pasture area. Taking into account the overall low indicators of the nutritional value of grass on the pasture site (1370-1431 Kj) compared to the protected one (1639 Kj) as well as lower levels of feed consumption here, it can be concluded that the animals on grazing pastures faced serious challenges in maintaining the necessary energy balance of their bodies.
Pages: 14 - 22
Date: 15.09.2023