Growth performance by Alpine, Angora, Boer and Spanish wether goats consuming 50 or 75% concentrate diets

Physical, Metabolic, and Microbial Rumen Development in Goat Kids: A Review on the Challenges and Strategies of Early Weaning

The digestive system of newborn ruminant functions is similar to monogastric animals, and therefore milk flows into the abomasum instead of rumen for digestion. The rumen undergoes tremendous changes over time in terms of structure, function, and microbiome. These changes contribute to the smooth transition from the dependence on liquid diets to solid diets. Goat kids are usually separated at early ages from their dams in commercial intensive systems. The separation from dams minimizes the transfer of microbiota from dams to newborns. In this review, understanding how weaning times and methodologies could affect the normal development and growth of newborn goats may facilitate the development of new feeding strategies to control stress in further studies.

Productive and economic performance of goats of different genetic groups

SUMMARY This study aimed to evaluate the bio-economic performance in confinement crossbred goats from different genetic groups. Were used 30 goats, crossbred (F1) intact male, 10 goats Boer x SPRD (undefined breed), 10 x Savannah SPRD and 10 Oberhasli x SPRD, with an average weight of 15 kg and an average age of 100 days. The initial weight was evaluated, final body weight, average daily gain, total weight gain, dry matter intake, water intake, feed conversion and days on feed. As an economic indicator was calculated gross profit margin (MB), the average dry matter intake, the confinement period, the cost of each diet and the cost of vaccines and medicines. We used the 5% Tukey test for comparisons between treatment means. For the variables weight gain, dry matter intake, water intake and body condition score averages observed did not differ between the genetic groups. There was significant effect (P> 0.05) of genetic groups on days on feed. The biological performance of the goats finished in feedlot was not influenced by genetic group. In bioeconomic analysis was no significant difference (P> 0.05) between the evaluated racial groups. Gross profit margin was negative for the mestizos Pardo Alpine x SPRD. The cross between the Boer breed and without defined breed results in premature animals, reaching slaughter weights with reduced confinement period. In the feedlot finishing system crossbred Boer goats x SPRD showed better economic performance, providing greater profitability to the creator.

Growth performance and rumen development in Malabari kids reared under different production systems

In order to investigate the effect of rearing systems on growth and rumen development in Malabari male kids, 14 pre-weaned Malabari male kids of uniform morphological characters were randomly divided into two equal groups as T₁ and T₂. Both the groups were reared intensively for 12 weeks whereby kids under T₁ group were allowed to suckle their dams and provided green grass ad libitum. The kids under T₂ were weaned at the age of 7 days and provided formulated semi-solid broiler goat concentrate diet through the feeding bottle and were not offered any grass/roughage. Parameters like live weight gain, daily weight gain and body measurements were studied to evaluate the growth performance. However, gastrointestinal tract morphometric studies and qualitative morphological analysis of rumen papillae were undertaken to measure the rumen development. The daily weight gain of kids under T₂ was significantly (P ≤ 0.01) higher than the daily weight gain of kids under T₁. Also, the body measurements like height at withers, heart girth and body length were significantly (P ≤ 0.01) higher in T₂ than in T₁. The rumen and abomasum were comparatively more developed in T₂ than in T₁. The morphology of rumen papillae in both groups was different in size, shape and colour. The length, width, density and surface area of rumen papillae among kids in T₂ were significantly (P ≤ 0.01) higher than those kids in T₁. The results of the present study indicated that the feeding of semi-solid broiler goat concentrate diet improved growth performance and early rumen development in kids.

Chlordecone disappearance in tissues of growing goats after a one month decontamination period--effect of body fatness on chlordecone retention

Chlordecone (CLD) is an organochlorine pesticide whose extended use led to the contamination of at least 20% of agricultural soils from the French West Indies. Livestock reared on polluted areas are involuntary contaminated by CLD and their level of contamination may exceed the threshold values set by the European Union. Thus, characterizing the CLD behaviour in farm animals appear as a real issue in terms of food safety for local populations. The aim of this experiment was (i) to characterize the CLD disappearance in various tissues after exposure cessation and (ii) to evaluate the potential effect of body fatness on this process. Two groups of eight growing goats were submitted to either a basal diet or a high energy diet for 50 days before being intravenously contaminated with 1 mg CLD kg(-1) body weight. Two days after CLD contamination, half of the kids of each experimental group were slaughtered in order to determine pollutant levels in the serum, liver, adipose tissues, and empty carcass. The remaining animals were submitted to a 30-day decontamination period before slaughtering and measurements as described above. The implemented nutritional plan resulted in both groups of kids with significant differences in terms of body fatness. CLD was mainly concentrated in the liver of animals as described in the literature. It was found also in kids' empty carcass and adipose tissues; however its levels in the empty carcass (muscles and bones) were unexpected since they were higher than in fat. These results indicate that the lipophilic pollutant CLD is found mainly in liver but also in muscles and fat. Concerning the animals' depuration, a 30-d decontamination period was sufficient to observe a decrease of CLD levels by more than 75% in both experimental groups and neither CLD concentrations nor CLD amounts were significantly affected by kids' body fatness.

Desempenho bioeconômico de cabritos de diferentes grupos genéticos terminados em confinamento

Objetivou-se avaliar o desempenho e margem bruta de lucro de cabritos de diferentes grupos genéticos terminados em confinamento. Foram utilizados 30 cabritos não castrados, sendo 10 ½ Anglo Nubiana × ½ Sem Raça Definida, 10 ½ Boer × ½ Sem Raça Definida e 10 Sem Raça Definida, alimentados com dieta contendo 15,5% de proteína bruta e 2,58Mcal de energia metabolizável por quilograma de matéria seca. Os cabritos Boer × Sem Raça Definida (SRD) apresentaram maiores consumos de matéria seca, em percentual do peso vivo, em relação aos SRD, tendo obtido os Anglo Nubiana × SRD resultados semelhantes aos demais grupos genéticos. Os consumos de água, a conversão alimentar e o escore corporal ao final do confinamento não foram influenciados pelo grupo genético. No entanto, houve efeito significativo do grupo genético sobre o ganho de peso total e ganho de peso médio diário, que foram maiores para os cabritos Boer × SRD em comparação aos SRD. Os cabritos Anglo Nubiana × SRD e SRD obtiveram maiores escores corporais no início do experimento quando comparados com os Boer × SRD. A utilização da raça Boer no cruzamento melhora o desempenho dos cabritos SRD. Os cabritos Boer × SRD, terminados em confinamento, apresentam maior margem bruta de lucro em comparação aos Anglo Nubiana × SRD.

Growth performance, carcass quality, and noncarcass components of indigenous Caribbean goats under varying nutritional densities

Studies were conducted to determine the effects of feeding regimens on growth and carcass quality of the Creole goat, a genotype indigenous to the Caribbean. Forty kids weighing 9.0 +/- 1.2 kg of BW were reared indoors after weaning. Four supplement amounts were compared (10 kids per treatment): the G0 group received the basal diet (tropical forage, 8.8 MJ of ME and 108 g of CP/kg of DM) without concentrate, whereas the G100, G200, and G300 groups were offered 130, 230, and 310 g/d of concentrate (13.6 MJ of ME and 209 g of CP/kg of DM), respectively, in addition to the basal diet. The kids were slaughtered according to the standard procedure at 22 to 24 kg of BW for assessment of carcass traits and meat quality. Total DMI increased significantly, from 51 to 78 g/kg of BW(0.75), for G0 to G300 kids, whereas their ADG doubled from 42 to 84 g/d (P < 0.01; P < 0.01, respectively). The G:F values reached 125 to 130 for the G200 and G300 diets and were satisfactory compared with literature values. The carcass weight and dressing percentage (P < 0.01) increased from group G0 to G300, from 9 to 13 kg and from 42 to 51%, respectively. The proportions of the different cuts (related to the carcass weight) did not vary by diet. The conformation score increased significantly (P < 0.05) among the 4 groups from an average score of 3.2 to 4.0 (score/5). There was a significant effect (P < 0.01) of supplement amount on the accumulation of internal fat tissues: the kidney fat weight increased from 113 to 253 g from the G0 to the G300 group. Regardless of the feeding level and amount of internal fat, the carcasses had an acceptable fat cover score, which remained less than 2.6 (score/5). A significant effect was not observed for the ultimate pH and the main color variables of the meat. The cooking loss and the shoulder DM content varied (P < 0.05) with the supplement amount. By increasing the nutritional density of the diet, it was possible to obtain well-conformed and heavy carcasses, with no excessive fattening. Indigenous Creole goats have potential as meat animals when fed to gain more than 80 g/d. The optimal supplement supply with good-quality grass would be approximately 3.69 MJ of ME/d in our conditions. Further studies are required on meat sensory parameters and fatty acid profiles.