Effect of different levels of concentrate supplementation on feed intake, growth performance, carcass traits and composition in finisher Barbari kids reared under intensive system

Abstract

Thirty-two weaned male Barbari kids (av. age, 144.65 days; weight, 9.43±0.24 kg), reared under intensive system of feeding, were divided equally into four groups (T1, T2, T3 and T4) to investigate the effect of supplementation of different levels of concentrate mixture on voluntary intake, growth performance, carcass traits and quality. All kids were fed with Bengal gram straw ad lib. + green fodder ad lib. as basal ration and supplemented with barley grain @ 0.7% of body weight in T1 and concentrate mixture @ 0.7, 1.4, and 2.1% of body weight in T2, T3, and T4, respectively. Dry Matter Intake (DMI, g)/kg W0.75 increased significantly in T1 and T4 than T2 and T3. Average daily weight gain (ADG) (g/d/kid) was enhanced significantly with each gradual increase in concentrate level. Slaughter weight and empty body weight were greatest in T4 compared with other treatments. Significantly greater dressing percentage and yield of separated lean meat was observed in kids under T3 and T4 than other two groups. But, meat:bone ratio and separated carcass fat yield was significantly higher only in kids under T4. Meat protein content (%) increased in T2, T3, and T4 as compared to control T1. Meat fat content increased linearly due to a gradual increase in the level of concentrate mixture supplementation to the finisher kids. Whereas, meat moisture and ash per cent remained unaltered due to different levels of concentrate supplementation to kids. Therefore, it may be concluded that supplementation of concentrate mixture @ 2.1% of the body weight in the roughage-based diet increased DMI in finisher Barbari kids with greater energy and protein values, which attributed to enhanced ADG in such kids by 408.3% over the control (supplemented with barley grain only), and also improved feed conversion ratio, carcass yield, carcass traits, and meat quality.