The 2008 Joint Meeting of the Society for Range Management and the America Forage and Grassland Council.

Thursday, January 31, 2008 - 9:00 AM

Juniper Consumption Does NOT Cause Abortions or Reduce Neonatal Viability in Boer-Cross Goats

Corey J. Owens1, Cody B. Scott1, Charles A. Taylor Jr.2, and Michael W. Salisbury1. (1) Department of Agriculture, Angelo State University, Box 10888, ASU Station, San Angelo, TX 76909, (2) Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Box 918, Hwy 55, Sonora, TX 76950

Goat browsing is being used as a biological tool to slow the encroachment of juniper onto rangelands in west central Texas, but the potential detrimental effects of monoterpenoids on reproduction are not known.  The objectives of this study were to determine if redberry juniper (Juniperus pinchotii Sudw.) consumption by pregnant goats caused abortions in any trimester or reduced offspring neonatal viability.  In Experiment 1, pregnant Boer-cross nannies (n=28) were randomly divided into 4 treatments; each of the three treatments were fed redberry juniper 1 hour daily for 22 days during one of the three trimesters of pregnancy and a control group was fed alfalfa pellets throughout gestation at 2% BW to meet maintenance requirements.  In Experiment 2, pregnant nannies (n=20) were placed on juniper dominated rangeland throughout gestation; juniper intake was monitored once monthly via bite count surveys and fecal NIR analysis.  In both trials, birth date and weight, offspring number, sex, and vigor scores were recorded at parturition.  Kids were weighed again on days 14 and 28 postpartum.  In both trials, no abortions occurred as a result of redberry juniper consumption and no differences (P=0.05) were observed in offspring number, vigor scores, or overall weight (based on 14 and 28 d postpartum weights).  Fecal NIRS estimates for predicted juniper in goat diets was similar (P=0.16) for all collection periods.  Because mechanical and chemical management tools are expensive and only temporarily effective, producers can continue to use goats as a management tool for slowing juniper encroachment onto rangelands without causing abortions or reductions in neonatal viability.
 
Key Words:  abortifacient, aversive postingestive feedback, brush management, Juniperus, monoterpenes

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