Performance of Angora goat kids fed acidified milk replacer at two levels of intake

Abstract

Daily milk intake, weekly BW and blood metabolites were monitored using Angora kids offered ad libitum (AL) or restricted (RES) intakes of acidified milk replacer (AMR) twice daily during an 11-week period. Solid feed was provided ad libitum starting in week 3. All kids were shorn at the end of the experiment and midside samples taken for fiber characteristics. Average daily gain during the experiment was 30% higher for kids fed AL compared with those fed RES (138 vs. 108 g/day; P<0.0001). Average daily milk intake was 0.97 l for RES and 1.37 l for AL ( P<0.001). Pre-treatment BW (2.8±0.1 kg) and blood metabolites were similar for both groups. No differences were found in clean mohair production (275 vs. 279 g; P<0.85) or in any other fiber quality characteristics. Plasma concentrations of glucose (84 mg/dl), non-esterified fatty acids (313 μequiv./l) and total protein (60 g/l) were not different ( P>0.05) between groups at the end of the experiment. In weeks 7 and 11 plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) concentrations were higher (10.1 vs. 8.5 mg/dl; P<0.01) for the kids in the RES treatment. No detrimental effects of feeding a restricted amount of AMR to Angora kids were noted on mohair production or blood metabolites although ADG was 28% lower and solid feed intake was three times higher (32.4 vs. 9.1 g/d; P<0.0001). Feed conversion efficiency for BW gain and mohair growth was greater in the RES group resulting in higher production per feed cost unit. Restricting milk intake decreases costs of kid rearing by decreasing milk costs and encourages faster adaptation to solid feed.