Nutritive value of browse plants selected by range goats in the Mexican plateau

Abstract

The study was conducted in the south-west Tlaxcala, Mexico. Two simultaneous trials were carried out in range goats, during dry and wet seasons, to determine the nutritive value of selected forages and dry matter intake (DMI) using Cr2O3. The crude protein (CP) content varied from 2.89 to 19.8 g/100 g, and acid detergent fiber (ADF) from 23.4 to 67.7 g/100 g. The highest CP content was in the plants Simpsia amplexicahuale and Senecio salignus. The ADF and ash contents increased in dry season (p < 0.05). Conversely, dry matter digestibility (DMD) increased in wet season (p < 0.05). DMI of goats was 98.1 and 90.3 g/kg LW0.75 (p < 0.01) for dry and wet season, respectively. In dry season protein requirements of goats were fulfilled only by S. salignus. In wet season, all evaluated plants covered the requirements of CP for maintenance. Simpsia amplexicahuale and Bouvardia ternifolia showed outstanding CP and DMD.