Growth Performance, Carcass and Meat Characteristics of Black Goat Kids Fed Sesame Hulls and Prosopis juliflora Pods

The study investigated amelioration effects of coconut oil (CO) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation, and blood metabolites in Hainan Black goat kids. Twenty-four Hainan Black goat kids (10 days of age) were assigned randomly to four treatments for 90 days, including pre-weaning (10–70 d of age) and post-weaning (70-100 d of age) days. The treatment regimens were control (CON), low CO (LCO), medium CO (MCO), and high CO (HCO) with 0, 4, 6, 8 g CO per goat per day, respectively. During the pre-weaning period, the average daily gain (ADG) linearly and quadratically increased (P < 0.05), whereas the average daily feed intake (ADFI) linearly decreased, and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) also decreased linearly and quadratically by increasing CO supplementation (P < 0.05). During the post-weaning period, increasing CO supplementation linearly and quadratically increased the BW at 100 days and ADG (P < 0.05), but quadratically decreased the ADFI and FCR (P < 0.05). The digestibility of ether extract (EE) linearly and quadratically increased with increasing CO supplementation (P < 0.05). Supplementation of CO linearly increased ruminal pH (P < 0.05), but linearly decreased (P < 0.05) ammonia-N, total VFAs, molar proportions of acetate, ruminal microbial enzyme activity of carboxymethyl-cellulase, cellobiase, xylanase, pectinase and α-amylase, and number of total protozoa, the abundance of Ruminococcus albus, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, Fibrobacter succinogenes, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, Prevotella ruminicola, and Ruminobacter amylophilus. The estimated methane emission decreased linearly and quadratically with increasing CO addition (P < 0.05). The serum concentration of triglycerides (TG), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and growth hormone (GH) linearly (P < 0.05) increased by raising the CO supplementation. The present results indicate that CO supplementation at 6 g/day per goats is optimum due to improved growth performance and decreased estimated methane emission. Supplementation CO up to 8 g/day depressed growth and feed conversion due to its suppression of growth performance, rumen protozoa, cellulolytic bacteria and microbial enzyme activity, and reduced ADF and ADF digestibility.

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Growth Performance and Haematological and Serological Assessment of Broiler Chickens Fed Thermally Processed Prosopis juliflora Pod-based Diets

International Journal of Poultry Science ◽

10.3923/ijps.2018.268.279 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 17 (6) ◽

pp. 268-279 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

W. Al-Marzooq ◽

I.M. Al-Moqbali ◽

O. Mahgoub ◽

K. Al-Kharous ◽

M. Al-Abri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Broiler Chickens ◽

Prosopis Juliflora ◽

Thermally Processed

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Performance and carcass characteristics of intact and castrated male Black goat kids fed diets of various energy levels

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1071/ea07368 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 48 (9) ◽

pp. 1217 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A. Y. Abdullah ◽

F. T. Awawdeh ◽

H. S. Musallam ◽

H. H. Titi ◽

B. S. Obeidat ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Energy Intake ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Energy Levels ◽

Carcass Characteristics ◽

High Energy ◽

Dry Matter Intake ◽

Dietary Energy ◽

Metabolisable Energy ◽

Black Goat

Thirty Black goat male kids were used in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement to evaluate the effects of three dietary energy levels (EL) and early castration (TRT) on growth performance, body and carcass characteristics. Upon weaning at 90 days of age, kids were randomly divided into three equal groups (n = 10: five intact and five castrated) and assigned to one of the three dietary treatments containing 15% CP and different energy levels: low (LEL; 10.44 MJ ME/kg DM), medium (MEL; 11.60 MJ ME/kg DM) and high energy (HEL; 12.90 MJ ME/kg DM). Kids were individually fed on an ad libitum basis and were slaughtered at the end of the fattening period. Results showed no differences between castrated and intact kids in feed and nutrient intake. The level of dietary energy affected dry matter intake (P < 0.05), metabolisable energy intake (P < 0.01), crude protein intake (P < 0.05), neutral detergent fibre (P < 0.001) and acid detergent fibre intakes (P < 0.001). Dry matter intake was 280, 305 and 264 g/kg W0.75.day for kids receiving LEL, MEL and HEL diets, respectively. Metabolisable energy intake was the highest for kids receiving the MEL diet (0.90 Mcal/kg W0.75.day) compared with LEL (0.73 Mcal/ kg W0.75.day) and HEL (0.88 Mcal/kg W0.75.day) diets. Final liveweight and average daily gain (ADG) were greater (P < 0.01) in MEL diets. Kids fed MEL gained 133 g/day, while ADG values were 92 and 100 g/day for kids fed LEL and HEL diets, respectively. Total muscle percentage was greater (P < 0.05) for kids fed MEL diets (55.9%) compared with LEL (53.8%) and HEL (51.1%) diets. Castrated kids had lower (P < 0.01) carcass muscle percentage, but higher carcass (P < 0.01) and subcutaneous (P < 0.001) fat percentages than intact kids. It can be concluded that the best growth performance was observed in kids receiving the MEL with no differences between castrated and intact kids. Castration influenced accretion of fat in castrated kids.

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