GRAZING BEHAVIOR AND DIET SELECTION OF GOATS ON NATIVE PASTURE IN SOUTHERN ITALY

In Expt. 1, 48 goats from two breeds (Maltese and Rossa Mediterranea) received two levels of concentrate supplements (150 and 550 g/head/d) in a 2X2 factorial design. In Expt. 2, the concentrate levels were the same, but with two CP levels for each concentrate level (150 g/head/d of concentrate: 18 and 38% CP; 550 g/head/d: 12 and 18% CP). At low o r high concentrate level, the ratio of NE:CP was the same. Goats had a high preference for grasses, mainly Lolium perenne and Avena barbata, and, in summer, for forbs, especially Daucus carota, Foeniculum sp. a nd Borago officinalis. Legumes were less preferred, with the exception of Vicia sativa and Lotus corniculatus. Differences between the chemi cal composition of pasture herbage and of ingesta were noticed. The pe rcentage of crude fiber of the selected diet had seasonal variation op posite that of pasture. CP content of the selected pasture diet was of ten higher than the pasture's. The two breeds had a different behavior in selecting plant species: Maltese goats preferred grasses, while Ro ssa Mediterranea goats preferred forbs. Intake level was influenced by breed, by amount of concentrate and its CP content. With a high level of concentrate the Maltese reduced grass intake more than the Rossa M editerranea (54% vs. 18%). Low level of concentrate (150 g) resulted i n increased CP and quantity of herbage intake by 43 and 39% in 1987, a nd 17 and 15% in 1988, respectively. Low CP content of concentrates in creased CP and DM intake. DM intake was positively correlated with tot al legumes in the pasture (0.24(*)), with legumes in the diet (0.33(* )), DM production of the pasture (0.39(**), and negatively, with fibe r of the diet (- 0.46(**)). Several regression equations for intake w ere proposed.