Tölü, CemilIşil Akba?, HandeYurtman, Ismail YamanBaytekin, HarunSavaş, Türker2025-01-272025-01-2720131459-0255https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12428/14187Suitable plant species for annual winter pasture formation for dairy goats were investigated in the basis of genotype and animal behaviours. Two experiments were carried out with a total number of forty-five lactating goats from three breeds (G: Gökçeada; M: Maltese and TS: Turkish Saanen). In Experiment I, nine grazing plots containing triticale (xTriticosecale Wittmack), oat (Avena sativa), common vetch (Vicia sativa) and Hungarian vetch (Vicia pannonica) as a sub-plot were formed, and five goats from each breed were grazed for three days on their grazing plots. Treatment was repeated three times with different goats. Behaviour of goats was recorded every day through direct observation for four hours. Biting rate of goat breed on the same plant species was examined in Experiment II. Grazing frequencies were determined as 55.2, 63.8 and 70.7% for the breeds of G, M and TS goats, respectively (P ? 0.01). Grasses, and triticale in particular, were preferred to legumes (P ? 0.01), and Hungarian vetch had the lowest grazing frequency. Biting rate varied among plant species (P ? 0.01), and observed values on triticale and Hungarian vetch were significantly lower than those of the other plant species (P ? 0.05). It was concluded that triticale has an important potential as a plant for annual winter pasture for dairy goats in Mediterranean climatic zone.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessCereals; Gökçeada; Legumes; Maltese; Turkish SaanenArticle113-48928962-s2.0-84887569180N/A