Diet selection by sheep and goats in the Arid Karoo

Abstract

The diet selected by Afrino, Dorper and Merino sheep, and angora goats was studied in the Arid Karoo at Carnarvon. The diets selected by these small stock species and breeds was established through breed by breed by breed comparisons, with a view to raising the stocking rate by combining different breeds. It was established by means of the d-index, that the d-index, that the diets differed by only 4% to 5% during the growing season. This margin is too small to recommend combining small stock breeds in an effort to ensure greater utilisation efficiency through multiple use of the vegetation. During the dormant seasons the diets differed by 14% to 21%. Although this represents a large margin, stocking rate adjustments are made on the basis of the growing season's results.

Keywords: Arid Karoo; botany; canopy cover; Carnarvon; descending point; method; diet; diet selectivity; goats; grazing capacity; sheep; small stock; South Africa; multiple use of vegetation

African Journal of Range and Forage Science 1995 12(1): 16–26