The Preference Value of Makuyi Sheep on the Mountainous Rangelands of Kelid Daghi in Jolfa

Determining the diet selection of the animals grazing on the rangeland is one of the crucial necessities of animal management in different climatic regions. The present study was carried out with the aim of ascertaining Makuyi sheep diet selection on the mountainous rangelands of Kelid Daghi in Jolfa which are representing the dispersion of Makuyi sheep in EastAzerbayjanProvince. At first, a herd of sheep with 300 animals including three mature (three-year-old) ewes was chosen and tagged. At the next stage, using video recordings, the time of grazing each plant species was confirmed, and subsequently, the values of the preference of the species at different times of the day during the grazing season were determined. The results indicated that animals’ food preference at the stages of the grazing season are forbs, shrubs, and grasses. During the time of experiment Carthamus oxyacantha, Tanacetum pinnatum, Silene aucheriana, Salvia hydrangea, Helichrysum rubicundum, Annual grasses (Bromus rubens, Bromus tectorum), Festuca ovina, Astragalus effuses and Galium verum species in order had the highest preference index. Their preference indices was ≥ 1.4 and they were considered as the Class I species. The preference index of Serratula coriacea, Centaurea virgata, Thymus kotschyanus, Astragalus onobrychis, Reseda aucheri, Centaurea xanthocephala and Noaea mucronata species were 0.7-1.3 that were considered as Class II plants. Acanthophyllum mucronatum, Artemisia sieberi, Agropyron tauri, Tucrium polium, Acantholimon atropanatum, Stipa barbata and Stachys inflataspecies had the lowest preference index (≤0.6) and were considered as the Class III plants. The results are indicative of the fact that the palatability of species would not be the same during grazing season corresponding to the change in the composition of species.