Early Experience Makes the Difference
Experiences early in life affect intake of both poor quality and good quality foods. This was demonstrated by a study at Utah State University on intake of blackbrush by goats. Blackbrush grows in the transition zone between the hot and cold deserts. It is very low in protein and digestibility. One group of goat kids was exposed to blackbrush with their mothers from the time they were 1 month old until they were 4 months old. Another group of kids was not exposed to blackbrush until they were 4 months old, and they were not exposed with their mothers.
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The intake of four-month old kids exposed to blackbrush with their mothers was compared to the intake of four-month old kids with no exposure was compared. Those who were exposed early and with their mothers ate more blackbrush than kids with no exposure. The difference even remained later in life at 13 months of age as shown in the graph at right. Early exposure also affected preference for blackbrush. Even when 13 month-old-goats had alfalfa pellets free choice, those that had been exposed to blackbrush early in life ate 30% more blackbrush than goats that had not been exposed to blackbrush until later in life.
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While working on a similar project, researchers noted another important aspect of experience. One group of goats came from Arizona where they were used to being herded and eating grass. After 3 months they had hardly moved from the fenceline. Thanks to their poor foraging they lost about 16% of their inital weight. In contrast, a group of semi-feral goats from the brush-dominated rangelands of South Texas disappeared into the brush immediately and were seldom seen all winter long. They foraged throughout the pastures and lost only 5% of their body weight during the winter. Both animals were of the same species - goat - but their previous experiences made them different creatures. The same is true for other wild and domestic grazers.
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