Nutrient intake and ingestion pattern of goat under intensive and extensive feeding system

Adult female local (Bundelkhandi) goat (20; 12–14 m old of 22.4±0.8 kg BW) were randomly divided into 2 equal groups for rearing either under intensive or extensive system. Under intensive system, goats were offered ad lib. cowpca hay along with 100 g concentrate mixture per day but those under extensive system were allowed to graze on natural pasture for 8 h/d during full monsoon period when the pasture was dominated by green bush of Zizipus numularia and Heteropogan contortus grass. The DM intake (as % BW) was higher (P<0.05) under extensive system (2.78) than the intensive system (1.99). DCP and TDN intake under extensive system were higher (P<0.05) than under intensive system. The digestibility of DM, CP, NFE, NDF and CF were 65.6, 70.3, 72.3, 57.5 and 62.1%, respectively, in goat under extensive system as compared to 48.99, 53.66, 60.07, 50.08 and 45.21%, respectively, under intensive system. However, hemicelluloses digestibility under intensive system was significantly (P<0.05) higher. Goats spent more time (min/hr) for browsing on bushes (33.4) than grazing on grasses (26.5) on pastoral field. Browsing and grazing time were negatively (P<0.05) associated (r² -0.66) and ingestion behaviour was positively related with total DMI in both the systems. Thus, nutrient intake by goat under extensive system found more with better expression of natural browsing behaviour on natural pasture during monsoon period.