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Forage plant preference of work donkeys in the Kweneng Sandveld, Botswana

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2017

U J Omphile ,
A A Aganga  and
K Ntlogelang
U J Omphile*
Affiliation:
Botswana College of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
A A Aganga
Affiliation:
Botswana College of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
K Ntlogelang
Affiliation:
Botswana College of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
*
Email: [email protected]
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Extract

Donkeys have historically been the least valued farm animal in Botswana. However, following commercialization of the beef cattle industry coupled with escalating oil prices, donkeys have gained popularity as both draught and transport animals in most remotely located rural areas of the country. Further, due to their resistance to drought, the population of donkey in the country has substantially increased while those of cattle, sheep and goats have decreased. Without exception, all donkeys in Botswana derive their food from the open free-range. Despite their growing popularity as draught animals, very little attention has gone into research on foraging tactics of donkeys. This study was undertaken to determine forage preference of free-ranging work donkeys utilizing an Acacia dominated sandveld in Botswana. The expectation of the researchers was that due to limited grazing time, work donkeys grazed all available grasses without regard to choice in which case the quality of their diet from the range, compared to that of their non-work donkey compatriots would be suspect.

Type
Poster presentations
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , Volume 2006 , March 2006 , pp. 147
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 The American Society of International Law

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