Diets of Angora Goats Grazing Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula)-Infested Rangeland

摘要

Angora goats have been suggested as biological control agents for leafy spurge, especially in environmentally sensitive or limited access areas. Dietary preferences and dietary nutritive content of herded Angora goats were evaluated over a two-year period in North Dakota. Relative preferences of forages were evaluated by comparing botanical composition of diets as determined by microhis- tological analysis of fecal samples to forage availability in the field. Leafy spurge and shrubs com- prised the largest percentage of goat diets throughout each grazing season.