Grazing behaviour of Marwari goats in Marwar tract of semiarid Rajasthan

The grazing behaviour of Marwari goats maintained under extensive system was studied at Pali (25°50′ N 73°E) in semi-arid Marwar tract of Rajasthan. Among the different types of vegetation, the goats browsed on twelve diferent species of shrubs/trees. On an average the Marwari does spent maximum browsing time on pala (Ziziphus nummularia) followed by Khejri (Prosopis cineraria) leaves, Jijni (Mimosa hamata), Rohida (Tecomella undulata) and Kair (Caparis desidua) twigs. The does spent very little time in browsing on other minor species viz. Marwar Anjan grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) Jangal Jalebi (Pithecelobium dulce), Hingota (Balanitis roxburgii), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Katchnar (Bauhinia variegata) and Ardu (Ailanthus excelsa). These observations indicated that the hardy species viz. Pala (Ziziphus nummularia), Khejri (Prosopis cineraria) and Jijni (Mimosa hamata) are the most preferred species by the goals in this region.