The experiment reported in this Research Communication aimed to determine the combined effects of early weaning and post-weaning feeding level on growth, reproductive parameters and milk yield in Alpine goats. Sixty-four Alpine goat kids were weaned abruptly at either 12·2 (±1·40) kg (40 d of age, E) or 17·7 (±2·30) kg (60 d of age, No). After weaning, E and No goats were subjected to 2 feeding strategies (n = 16): ad libitum concentrate until 130 d of age and then 620 g DM/d/goat until 200 d of age (EC and NoC) or ad libitum concentrate until 200 d of age (EAL and NoAL). Goats were weighed twice a month until 200 d of age. Pregnancy rate and litter size were recorded. Daily milk yield was measured by milk meter during the first lactation. Up to 60 d of age, average daily gain (ADG) of E kids was significantly lower than No kids. From 60 to 130 d of age, ADG of the four treatments were not different. After 130 d of age, EC and NoC kids had lower ADG than EAL and NoAL kids. Pregnancy rates of EAL and NoAL goats were lower than those of EC and NoC. Milk yield was not modified by weaning weight or feeding management. Milk quality was not affected by any treatment. To conclude, the age at weaning as well as the feeding level after weaning did not negatively impact growth and milk yield. We hypothesise that the establishment of the lactation function is not impacted by rearing management. Hence, decreasing the age at weaning could be an interesting way to reduce the cost of the rearing period in goat kids.

The objectives of this study were to explore the effects of feeding level after early weaning on growth, reproduction performances and milk production in early weaned kids. Ninety Alpine goats were weaned at 9.7 ± 0.14 kg (30 days of age) and given different levels of concentrate: Control (C, 730 g DM/d, n = 30), Low (L, 365 g DM/d, n = 30) or High (H, 1090 g DM/d, n = 30) until 235 days of age. Goats were weighed twice a month until 11 months of age and once a month during lactation. Morphometric and reproduction parameters, as well as milk production during the first 100 days of the first lactation, were recorded. The ADG of the L group from birth to 230 days of age was decreased by 23% compared to the C group and by 33% compared to the H group (P < .001). The prolificacy was 30% higher in the C and H groups compared to the L group and was around 1.6 kids per goat in those two groups (P < .05). Milk yield for the first 100 days of lactation was not impacted by the feeding level (P > .1). To conclude, after early weaning, feeding level impacted growth but without detrimental effect on milk yield. ARTICLE HISTORY

The experiment reported in this research communication aimed to determine the effects of post-weaning feeding level after early weaning on mammary parenchyma development in Alpine goats. Thirty Alpine female goat kids were weaned early (at around 9.8 kg and 32 d of age) and fed different levels of concentrate: Control (C, 730 g DM/d, n = 10), Low (L, 365 g DM/d, n = 10) or High (H, 1090 g DM/d, n = 10) until 235 d of age with ad libitum hay and water. Half of the goat kids were slaughtered before puberty (at around 208 d of age) and half at midgestation (at around 308 d of age and 70 d of gestation) for mammary parenchyma sampling. A histological analysis, Western blot and DNA quantification were performed. Blood samples were taken before puberty and at midgestation to determine plasma levels of IGF-I and prolactin. The mammary gland weights before puberty and at midgestation were positively and significantly associated with concentrate level. However, the organization of the mammary parenchyma and protein expression and quantity of DNA in the parenchyma were similar among the three groups. Before puberty, prolactin and IGF-I concentrations were significantly increased by the feeding level. In conclusion, feeding level after early weaning did not impact mammary parenchyma structure although it modified the weight of the mammary gland. The establishment of the mammary gland was not impacted by rearing management before puberty. Hence, increasing the feeding level during the rearing period could be an interesting way to increase the body development of goats without impairing mammary development whilst having a positive impact on reproductive parameters such as litter weight.