PSX-18 Effect of a feed complementation with Cucumis melo upon ovulatory, embrionary and pregnancy rates in grazing goats of northern mexico

Abstract

In Mexico, the feeding of goat herds kept in pasture is defined by a dry season and a rainy season, the above, coupled with zero complementation at the beginning of their reproductive cycle, directly affects their productivity. The effect of a feed complementation with Cucumis melo upon ovulatory, embrionary and pregnancy rate was evaluated in goats under grazing conditions in rangelands of northern Mexico. Thirty-two multi-racial anovulatory goats, homogeneous regarding body weight (39.05±0.9) and body condition score (2.5±0.3; 1–5 scale) were divided into 2 groups (n = 16). The first group (treated: GT) received a treatment of a complementation of 200g of grounded melon per animal during 14 days, while the second group (control: GC) did not receive any feed complementation. Both groups were grazed during 8 h per day (from 09:00 to 17:00 h). At day 7 of the feed complementation, the goats were synchronized (progesterone + hCG) and artificially inseminated with fresh semen. The ovulatory, embrionary and pregnancy rates were determined by trans-rectal ultrasound at 10, 28 and 45 days, respectively. The ovulatory percentage, embrionary rate and pregnancy were compared using a chi-square test. All statistical analyses were performed using the statistical package MYSTAT 12. The results of the present research show that there were no statistical differences in any of the three evaluated variables, even though the ovulatory percentage was numerically higher for the treated (P > 0.05). In conclusion, the complementation with melon is not an efficient alternative for grazing goats of northern Mexico, as it does not improve the reproductive response.