Mediterranean sheep and goats production: An uncertain future

Celaya

Small Ruminant Research

et al. 2012

a b s t r a c tGoats have developed in harmony with local conditions of climate, terrain, vegetation, and even pathogens over centuries in many areas, while they have been blamed of causing environment degradation in other ones. The paper summarizes the situation of goat's population worldwide, the status of the breeds and the multiple implications of their conservation, the interactions of goats with other animal species (wild or domestic) and the main issues regarding the consequences of goat grazing from the environmental point of view. It underlines that most of the environmentally harmful effects of goat grazing arise from improper management practices at very high grazing pressures whereas goat grazing can be a useful tool for conservation if managed adequately. Moderate grazing pressures can be compatible with high levels of biodiversity and provide externalities, whereas high intensity at short term can be a valuable tool for weed control. Goat genetic heritage is seriously threatened and requires more studies and greater support from national and international institutions, in parallel with other efforts in rural development, especially for remote areas which hold an outstanding reservoir of livestock diversity adapted to the local conditions and managed by impoverished communities. A multidisciplinary approach of scientists, policy makers, rangeland managers and local communities is required for the design of future sustainable management plans.

Section: Future Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Goat grazing, its interactions with other herbivores and biodiversity conservation issues

Celaya

Small Ruminant Research

et al. 2012

“…Anat Rec, 295:776-785, 2012. V C 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Key words: Capra hircus; forestomach; histochemistry; histology; prenatal developmentThe goat is among the ruminant species best able to make use of marginal pasturelands (Boyazoglu et al, 2005;Rancourt et al, 2006), and is highly adapted to grazing over a wide range of vegetation (El-Gendy et al, 2010). Browse appears to be an important component of its diet, and it is widely regarded as the best user of poor roughage (Gihad et al, 1980).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Histomorphometric and Immunohistochemical Study of the Goat Rumen During Prenatal Development

Masot

Franco

et al. 2012

The Anatomical Record

This study sought to chart the ontogenesis of the goat rumen by histomorphometric examination, scanning electron microscopy and immunohistochemical analysis. A total of 140 goat embryos and fetuses were used, from the first stage of prenatal life until birth. The appearance of the rumen from the primitive gastric tube was observed at 35 days of prenatal life (CRL 3 cm, 23% gestation). By 38 days (CRL 4.3 cm CRL, 25% gestation) the ruminal wall comprised three layers: an internal epithelial layer, a middle layer of pluripotential blastemic tissue and an external layer or serosa. Ruminal pillars were visible at 46 days (CRL 6 cm, 30% gestation), and by 76 days (CRL 18 cm, 50% gestation) ruminal papillae were starting to appear. Under scanning electron microscopy, by 50 days (CRL 7.7 cm, 33% gestation) small ruminal papillae were observed protruding from the surface. Finally, neuroendocrine cells (synaptophysin, SYP) were detected at 53 days (CRL 9 cm CRL, 35% gestation), while glial cell markers (glial fibrillary acidic protein-GFAP, and vimentin-VIM) were found at 108 days (CRL 31 cm, 72% gestation) and 39 days (CRL 4.4 cm, 26% gestation), respectively. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) were detected immunohistochemically at 113 days (CRL 33 cm, 75% gestation) and 120 days (CRL 35 cm, 80% gestation), respectively. In conclusion, histomorphogenesis of the rumen in goats was similar to that reported in deer, but rather slower than observed for sheep or cattle. Anat Rec, 295:776-785, 2012. V C 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Key words: Capra hircus; forestomach; histochemistry; histology; prenatal developmentThe goat is among the ruminant species best able to make use of marginal pasturelands (Boyazoglu et al., 2005;Rancourt et al., 2006), and is highly adapted to grazing over a wide range of vegetation (El-Gendy et al., 2010). Browse appears to be an important component of its diet, and it is widely regarded as the best user of poor roughage (Gihad et al., 1980). Morphological analysis of the goat digestive tract has led to its being classed as an intermediate feeder, situated between the concentrate selectors at one extreme and the grass-roughage eaters at the other (Hofmann 1973(Hofmann , 1989.This ability to make use of grazing land is linked to the particular morphology of the ruminant stomach, which comprises four compartments: rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. The rumen, reticulum and omasum form the forestomach (proventriculus), whose tunica mucosa is lined by a squamous, keratinized stratified epithelium (Ramkrishna and Tiwari, 1979;

“…The capacity of goats to rear their offspring under challenging tropical conditions where only the most hardy and adapted females are able to perform using a low-or medium-quality pasture has been identified as a key attribute in improving meat production in the tropics (Devendra and McLeroy 1982;Chemineau et al 1983). The same capacity is highly relevant to the production and management of farmed goats in the southern rangelands of Australia.…”

Section: Reproductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the reputation of the goat is by no means well deserved and some authors have highlighted the ecological, as well as economic and social, benefits of goat grazing in landscapes often popularly considered to have been desertified by them (e.g. Perevolotsky 1991; Perevolotsky and Seligman 1998;de Rancourt et al 2006).…”

Section: Role Of Goats In Natural Resource Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incorporating farmed goats into sustainable rangeland grazing systems in southern Australia: a review

Hacker

Alemseged

2014

Rangel. J.

Abstract. The recent trend to farming or re-domestication of feral goats poses serious questions for the ecological sustainability of the semiarid and arid rangelands of southern Australia. This paper reviews aspects of the biology and grazing habits of goats, and aspects of the Australian goat industry, relevant to their sustainable management in livestock enterprises. Key factors identified include high fertility and fecundity even under low seasonal rainfall conditions and a generalist feeding strategy. Adverse consequences for rangeland condition can be expected if seasonal or market conditions result in an imbalance between population growth and turnoff, resulting in high grazing pressures. Given the limited control of the reproductive process at the current stage of the development of goat farming, strategies aimed at ensuring continuity of sale of goats (e.g. on-property feed lots or supply chain and market development) will be important in ensuring that imbalances are avoided. Conservative stocking rates and use of seasonal risk management tools are also particularly relevant. The major research and development needs identified by this review, from a resource management perspective, concern the appropriate dry sheep equivalent rating for goat classes based on age, sex and reproductive status, the extent and consequences of heterogeneity of grazing in space, time, and across forage species, and development of means of establishing sustainable stocking rates based on the use of all available forage sources, including browse.