Feeding Preferences of Domestic and Wild Ungulates for Forage Trees in the Dry Tropics

Kenny López Benavides, Lester Rocha, Emmanuel Serrano and Jordi Bartolomé Filella ()
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Kenny López Benavides: Estación Experimental Para el Estudio del Trópico Seco “El Limón”, Facultad Regional Multidisciplinaria de Estelí, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua, Managua P.O. Box 49, Nicaragua
Lester Rocha: Facultad de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Nacional Agraria, Managua P.O. Box 453, Nicaragua
Emmanuel Serrano: Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), and Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatje (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
Jordi Bartolomé Filella: Small Ruminant Research Group, Department of Animal and Food Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 20, 1-10

Abstract: Silvopastoralism based on livestock feeding on forage trees is becoming a sustainable alternative to traditional grazing on the open pastures of dry tropical Central America. Four autochthonous trees, Acacia pennatula, Enterolobium cyclocarpum, Gliricidia sepium and Guazuma ulmifolia , and one exotic ( Moringa oleifera ) tree are the preferred species for these silvopastoral systems. Little is known, however, about the feeding preferences of cattle, sheep and goats for such fodder trees and whether wild ungulates (white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus ) feed on these plants. In this work, we conducted several multiple-choice feeding preference tests (cafeteria test) to compare the best choice to feed cattle, sheep, goats and white-tailed deer in these farming systems. Although all ruminant species included the four autochthonous trees and the exotic M. oleifera in their diets, G. ulmifolia was the preferred forage tree by far. The preference for the rest of the trees varied among our ruminant species. When M. oleifera was added to the cafeteria test, it was well accepted by white-tailed deer but little appreciated by their domestic counterparts. The use of these forage trees for livestock feeding is thus interesting not only for sustainable animal production but also to support wild herbivores in the dry tropics of Central America.

Keywords: silvopastoralism; foraging behaviour; Acacia pennatula; Enterolobium cyclocarpum; Gliricidia sepium; Guazuma ulmifolia; Moringa oleifera (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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