Fodder consumed by the Chocholteco criollo sheep in the rainy season in a rangeland of the Oaxacan Mixteca

The objective of this study was to identify the plants that Chocholteco Criollo sheep prefer to consume during grazing. The work was carried out at the San José La Estancia agency, belonging to the municipality and district of Coixtlahuaca, Oaxaca. The study was of an observational type, three commercial mini-cameras and a portable battery were used, adapted to a sheep by means of a harness and a semi-professional Cannon® camera, one of the cameras was focused on the mouth of the same animal and the others on other animals. while eating the fodder of their choice. From the videos and photos taken, the 5 most recurring species were chosen, the common names were consulted with the inhabitants of the region and then the Linné binomial nomenclature was generated with the support of specialist biologists and CONABIO pages (Malezas de México). Four herbaceous species were identified: guayabito (Lopezia racemosa), quiebraplato (Ipomoea orizabensis), mallow (Malva parviflora), hay (Tillandsia usneoides), and 1 epiphyte: clover or wheelbarrow (Medicago polymorpha). The identified plants underwent an analysis of PC, % partial dry matter and % moisture. The mallow being the one with the highest CP content with 28.68% and the hay with the highest DM content with 29.5%, and the guayabito with the highest amount of moisture with 86.84%. The rangelands in the Oaxacan Mixteca are of the utmost importance for the Criollo sheep, since it is the only source of food, mainly herbaceous plants, present mainly in the rainy season.