T HIS study explored the impact of dietary antioxidant supplementation on growth performance and blood profile of intensively raised West African dwarf goats. Thirty West African dwarf goats (8.00 ± 0.13 kg) were divided into five treatment groups of six (6) animals per group and randomly allotted to one of the five diets supplemented with (1). no dietary antioxidant (control); (2). Vitamin E (200mg/kg of feed); (3).Vitamin C (600mg/kg of feed); (4). 200mg Vitamin E+ 0.2mg Selenium/kg of feed; (5). 600mg Vitamin C+ 0.2mg Selenium/ kg of feed respectively, in a completely randomized design. The results revealed that dietary antioxidant supplementation significantly (p<0.05) influenced the red blood cell (RBC) with higher values in selenium supplemented groups, white blood cell (WBC) and basophil counts. Albumin, glucose and alanine transaminase (ALT) significantly (p<0.05) differed across the diets. The significantly (p<0.05) reduced thiobabutiric acid substance (TBARS) in supplemented groups compared to the control justified the scavenging characteristics of the supplemented antioxidants. Furthermore, cholesterol, uric acid, glutathione (GSH), glutathione S-tranferase (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were oxidative biomarkers significantly (p<0.05) influenced by the antioxidants supplementation while bilirubin and Vitamin E were similar across the treatments. The findings of this study revealed that Vitamin E, Vitamin C and their combination with Selenium did not only enhance erythrocyte formation but improved immune response and health status as well as the oxidative status of the goats by reducing the activities of TBARS and increasing the activities of SOD, GSH and GST.

Records from the El-Serw research station belonging to Animal ProductionResearch Institute were used to estimate the genetic parameters for the economically most important milk and growth traits in the Zaraibi goat breed. There were 99 and 110 half-sib families over the periods 1995-2003 and 1990-2003 for milk and growth traits, respectively. Milk traits were, milk yield during the first 90 days and the total yield and the length of lactation period. The weight was recorded at birth, 90, 180 and 365 days of age. Mixed model methodology based on a multi-trait animal model was used to estimate the genetic and phenotypic parameters. A repeatability model was used for milk traits. Heritability for milk yield was 0.27 (90 days) and 0.35 (total) with a genetic correlation of 0.89 between them. The lactation period had heritability 0.15 and it was naturally positively correlated with yield, especially with the total yield (0.80). Therefore a selection program on the earlier 90 days yield record would give the best annual genetic changes for milk traits. The heritability for weight traits varied between 0.12 and 0.33 with high (0.42-0.82) positive genetic correlations between them. The pre-weaning gain (from birth to 90 days) is a very useful tool for selection, as it has a satisfactory heritability (0.33), it is very highly correlated with the post-weaning gain (from weaning to 6 months) and it is available well before any selection decisions are made.

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