Influence of pre- and postpartum nutrition on growth of goat kids

Abstract

Effects of change in nutritional treatment in grazing goats from 4 weeks before parturition to weaning of kids at 12 weeks, on doe weight, milk yield, kid birth weight, mortality and growth up to weaning were studied. Two groups of a mixture of feral and crossbred goats grazed on barrel medic ( Medicago truncatula), blue crowfoot ( Erodium crinitum) and lucerne ( Medicago sativa) pasture or sparse, heavily grazed rye grass ( Lolium perenne). These pastures are designated “high” and “low”, respectively. “Low” plane feral and crossbred goats lost 21 and 13% in liveweight, respectively; had significantly lighter kids at birth (2.9 vs. 3.2 kg), lower kid survival (64 vs. 86%), lower milk yield by 24% and lower daily kid growth (192 vs. 225 g) than the high group. However, milk yield was not significantly different in early lactation in spite of significant differences in goat weights. Kid survival was mainly dependent on birth weight with maximum mortality occurring at or below a birth weight of 2.5 kg and a Chill Index around 1000 kJm −2 h −1. Kid growth was also dependent on birth weight followed by maternal nutrition, breed and sex. Birth weight had more than twice the effect of milk intake and more than 10 times the effect of breed on kid growth. When kids were compared at the same birth weight, there was no significant effect of breed on growth.