Grazing Behavior of Kiko and Spanish Goats in a Rotational System with Warm-season Forages in Mississippi

Abstract The grazing behavior of small ruminants, specifically meat goats, is important because it offers valuable insights into their adaptability, nutrition, and management efficiency. As natural browsers, goats’ responses to grass-based systems reveal how effectively they meet nutritional requirements and utilize the available biomass. In the H.H. Leveck Research Unit at Mississippi State, under a rotational grazing system of warm-season forages (bahia grass - Paspalum notatum; dallis grass - Paspalum dilatatum, bermuda grass - Cynodon dactylon, and foxtail grass - Setaria italica) (IACUC-25-088). Six (n = 6) Kiko (K) and six (n = 6) Spanish (S) goats, of similar age (K: 5 months and S: 6 months), were selected for behavioral observations. Four observers used binoculars to record their behaviors on a preformatted sheet. Behaviors were classified as Grazing (G): animals keeping their heads close to the ground for biting and eating forages; Lying (L): animals sitting or lying down on the ground; and Loafing (Lo): animals walking, standing, or playing. Paddocks of 1.8 acres included 3 types of shade: open sun (no shade, OS), natural shade (trees, NS), and artificial shade (a 2 × 3 m structure, AS). Observations were recorded every 15 minutes from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and classified by period: Morning (8 a.m.–11:45 a.m., M), Midday (12 p.m.–4 p.m., MD), and Afternoon (4 p.m.–7 p.m., AF), during 3 days at the optimal grazing time for the pastures. Data were processed with Excel 2025 and analyzed in R 4.4.1 using Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn’s tests for group comparisons. Table 1 shows that K bucks grazed more than S (66.42 vs. 48.52%, P 0.001). The highest percentage of grazing happened in the afternoon, followed by midday and morning. According to the shade, in OS animals, grazed most of the time (87.75%, P 0.001), while in NS animals, were L (47.30%) and Lo (45.44%) most of the time; in AS animals, spent 100% of the time Lo. Understanding grazing patterns helps optimize pasture use, prevent overgrazing, and assess animal welfare through behavioral indicators of comfort and feeding motivation. This knowledge supports sustainable grazing management and informed decisions on breed selection, stocking rates, and supplementation strategies to enhance productivity in grass-dominated systems.