| Mast is an important food resource for wildlife in south Texas, particularly for the economically important white-tailed deer and wild turkey, but also for collared peccary, raccoon, and wood rat. Wild pigs also exist throughout south Texas, and utilize mast in their diet as well. My objectives were to determine digestive performance and instantaneous intake rates of these species. Feeding trials were conducted with 4 animals/species. Animals were fed a commercial pellet (base), a 50% mesquite pod/base, a 50% live oak acorn/base, or a 30% Shumard oak acorn/base diet for 12 to 14 days. Cr-marked fiber was fed to determine passage rates. Feed consumed and feces produced were measured during the last 5 days of the trial and digestibility of dry matter, detergent fiber, crude protein, and gross energy were calculated. Instantaneous intake rate trials were conducted with 4 Animals/species (excluding wood rats) and 3 types of mast (mesquite pods, live oak acorns, and Shumard oak acorns). Intake rate (g/min), bite rate (bites/mine), and bite size (g/bite) were calculated. Dry matter and fiber digestibility by pigs was equal to or greater than other species. This was likely due to their large body mass (100 kg), long retention time, and fermentation in the colon. Peccaries had low dry matter intake relative to other species, long retention time, and moderate dry matter and fiber digestibility. Wood rats had intermediate digestion and retention times, while raccoons passed food quickly and showed minimal fiber digestion. Turkeys had fast passage rates and showed little fiber digestion. Deer, turkeys, and pigs had high intake rates of live oak acorns. Deer and pigs also had comparative intake rates of mesquite pods. Deer had the highest intake rates of Shumard oak acorns. Peccaries and raccoons had low intake rates of mast, likely because of processing constraints. Wild pigs are expected to be effective competitors for mast crops in south Texas because of their digestive efficiency, large body size, and potential for consumption of large quantities of mast. |
