Effects of supplementation on intake, growth rate, and fleece production by female Angora kid goats grazing rangeland

Abstract

Ninety-eight and 88 female Angora kid goats (6 mo of age) were grazed/browsed on Edwards Plateau rangeland in 92- and 88-d trials in 1989 and 1990, respectively. The goats were either not supplemented (negative control, NC) or fed isoenergetic amounts of corn (C), a corn/cottonseed meal/molasses mixture (C/CSM), or a corn/cottonseed meal/fish meal/molasses mixture (C/CSM/FM). The C/CSM and C/CSM/FM supplements provided equal CP but different amounts of ruminally undegraded protein (UDP). The goats were allowed to graze/browse in a common pasture and were separated into treatment groups three times each week for feeding. Intakes of supplement and forage were measured using a dual-marker technique. Forage intake was not increased with supplemental feeding (P = .21), but tended (P = .08) to be greater with high-protein supplements than with C. Total digestible DMI was greater (P < .01) for supplemented goats and was not affected by supplement type. Supplemental feeding increased BW gain (P < .01) and clean fleece weight (CFW; P < .01). High-protein supplements increased BW gain (P < .01), CFW (P = .07), fiber diameter (FD; P < .01), and staple length (P < .01) compared with C. Greater amounts of UDP (C/CSM/FM) did not increase BW gain (P = .99) but tended to increase CFW (P = .12) and FD (P = .15). Supplemental feeding increased total digestible DMI by partial substitution (corn) for forage or addition (high-protein supplements) to forage, and both energy and protein increased BW gain and CFW and influenced mohair traits.

Effects of field bean (Vicia faba L. var. minor) dietary supplementation on plasma thyroid hormones, insulin, insulin‐like growth factor‐1 concentrations and mohair characteristics in growing Angora goat kids

“…In adult goats, where the number of secondary hair follicles is less subject to variation, a parallel increase of fibre length and diameter, following dietary supplementation, has been repeatedly reported (Shahjalal et al., 1992; Hart et al., 1993; Sahlu et al., 1993; Jia et al., 1995). The same type of relationship was described for weaned Angora kids (Huston et al., 1993; Grégoire et al., 1996) or Merino sheep (Reis, 1992). Contrary to our results, the proportion of kemp fibres in the fleece is reported to be increased by low‐energy diets or high stocking rates at pasture (McGregor, 1998).…”

BOARD-INVITED REVIEW: Intrauterine growth retardation: Implications for the animal sciences1

“…Also, beef herds in the United States and worldwide are managed under conditions varying from confinement cow-calf production units to the more common grazing systems. However, the quality of forages and roughages is often poor, particularly in dry and winter seasons, and is inadequate for optimal nutrition of growing, gestating, and lactat-ing herbivores (including ruminants and horses) without high-quality protein and energy supplements (Lippke, 1980;Hoaglund et al, 1992;Huston et al, 1993;Fontaneli et al, 2005). In extensive production systems worldwide, there is little or no supplement provided for grazing ruminants (Fontaneli et al, 2005).…”

Body weight and growth rate of South African Angora goat kids under different pre- and post-weaning management systems

“…Furthermore, data on early growth rates in South African Angora goats are lacking in the literature, with only recorded body weights at twotooth age are available (Snyman & Olivier, 1996;Snyman & Olivier, 1999). The effect of nutrition on mohair production has been investigated (McGregor, 1998), but very little work has been done on the effect of different feeding strategies early in life on growth rate and subsequent performance of Angora goats (Huston et al, 1993;Grégoire et al, 1996;Goetsch et al, 2002;Mohrand-Fehr, 2005).…”