Supplementation of Meal Concentrate on Growth and Subsequent Reproductive Performances of Woyto-Guji Goats

Abstract

The growth and subsequent reproductive performance of Woyto-Guji goats was evaluated under varying levels of meal concentrate supplementation in the hot to warm semiarid environments of southwestern Ethiopia. Forty fi ve primiparous Woyto-Guji goats aged 14.3 ± 0.49 mth, with 15.0 ± 2.9 kg mean bodyweight (BW) and mean body condition score (BCS) of 2.9 ± 0.05 were allotted in a completely randomized design to three treatment groups—no concentrate (T0, control), 200 g per goat daily (T1) and 400 g per goat daily (T2). Concentrate was fed for 90 d before mating and during the last 2 mth of pregnancy. Rhodes grass hay (Chloris gayana) was fed ad libitum to all goats. Supplementation signifi cantly increased the feed intake, BW and BCS of the goats. The fi nal average BW observed was 15.0, 18.1 and 20.2 kg and average daily gain (ADG) values were 2.7, 33.5 and 54.7 g.d-1 for the T0, T1 and T2 treatment groups, respectively. The supplemented groups mated and kidded earlier (within 4 and 3 d, respectively, from the fi rst mating and kidding of goats) compared to the control (mated and kidded within 12 and 10 d, respectively, from the fi rst mating and kidding of goats). Compared to the control, the pregnancy rate and kidding rate of goats were improved by 17% (T1) and 29% (T2) and by 71% (T1) and 83% (T2), respectively. The concentrate supplement may offer benefi ts in promoting growth, pregnancy, kidding rates and early mating and kidding of Woyto-Guji goats before the subsequent hot dry season of southwestern Ethiopia.