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Effects of creep feeding and its interactions with other factors on the performance of meat goat kids and dams when managed on pasture
- Source :
- Translational Animal Science
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- Oxford University Press (OUP), 2019.
-
Abstract
- Creep feeding and its possible interactions with other influential factors (genetics, litter type, and sex) for weaning traits were studied in meat goat kids and their dams. Kids across 3 yr were creep fed (254 kids; 5 pens) or not creep fed (255 kids; 5 pens) from 30 to 90 d of age. Creep-fed kids had higher (P ≤ 0.05) preweaning average daily weight gain and weaning weights (113.1 ± 13.0 g/d; 15.0 ± 0.8 kg) than kids not creep fed (99.8 ± 13.1 g/d; 14.0 ± 0.8 kg). However, financial returns were not higher (P > 0.05) for creep-fed kids compared with kids not creep fed. There was no difference (P > 0.05) in kid conformation score or survival rates between the treatment groups. The only important interaction among kid traits was treatment × litter type (P < 0.05) for FAMACHA scores. Within noncreep pens, single kids had lower (better; P < 0.05) FAMACHA scores (2.9 ± 0.3) than twin kids (3.9 ± 0.3). There was no litter-type effect on FAMACHA scores for kids within the creep feed pens. Dams of the creep-fed (n = 175) and noncreep (n = 178) kids were also evaluated. Treatment did not affect (P > 0.05) litter weights, dam weight change, gross revenue for weaned litters, or fecal egg counts. Treatment interacted with litter type (P < 0.05) to effect packed cell volume (PCV). In the noncreep group, dams raising singles had higher (better; P < 0.05) PCV (18.7 ± 1.3%) than dams rearing twin kids (15.7 ± 1.3%). The litter-type effect on dam PCV was not evident (P > 0.05) in the creep-fed group. Creep feeding improved some kid growth traits but did not improve dam traits or financial returns. Interactions of creep treatment with other factors were minimal for doe-kid traits.
- Subjects :
- Litter (animal)
040301 veterinary sciences
education
dam performance
Biology
Pasture
0403 veterinary science
Animal science
Housing and Management
medicine
Weaning
Feces
geography
geography.geographical_feature_category
General Veterinary
weaning
Weight change
0402 animal and dairy science
meat goat
04 agricultural and veterinary sciences
040201 dairy & animal science
kid performance
humanities
Creep feeding
Animal Science and Zoology
medicine.symptom
human activities
Weight gain
creep feed
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 25732102
- Volume :
- 3
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Translational Animal Science
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....fe577015b41cb514b88128da3f42c1b1