Behaviour of Grazing Goats on Tanzania Grassland under Different Residue Leaf Area Index in Southeastern Brazil

Defoliation intensity is important for grassland management. While the residue is the result of defoliation, maintaining a remaining leaf area is essential, as leaf area index (LAI) determines forage yield, by increasing percentage of light interception and incident light capture. The understanding of animal behavior is also essential for adopting strategic measures to manage grasslands since the behavioral factor is the link between plant and animal performance. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes of the behavioral characteristics of goats grazing on Tanzania grassland (Panicum maximum cv. Tanzania) under rotational stocking with different residue leaf area index (RLAI)

Assessment of Methane Production by Goats under Intermittent Grazing

There are 875 million goats worldwide (FAO 2012) and the majority are in developing countries where they are typically raised on pasture. Ruminants release gross energy as methane, which is a greenhouse gas. Mthane mitigation strategies require prior knowledge about emission of methane by animals under different management systems. Intake, quality and type of feed are factors that influence methane emissions, therefore the objective of this study was to investigate how grazing intensity, measured by the residual leaf area index (RLAI), influences methane emission by goats under rotational grazing on Tanzania grass pasture