Effects tethering feeding management system on carcass, organ characteristics and serum metabolites of young West African dwarf goats

Abstract

Sixteen (16) growing West African dwarf goats comprising eight bucks and eight does aged between 8 – 12 months were used in this study to monitor the effect of periodic tethering feeding management system on the carcass, organ characteristics and serum metabolites of young growing West African dwarf goats. The goats were randomly allotted to four treatment groups identified as T 1, T 2, T 3, and T 4. The treatment group T 1 served as the control of the (untethered) goats while goats in treatments T 2, T 3, and T 4 were tethered at three hourly intervals: T 2, 0800 – 1100 hours; T 3 1100 – 1400 hours and T 4 1400 – 1700 hours throughout the experimental periods which lasted for 56 days. Four animals were allotted to each treatment group in a completely randomized design (CRD). Goats in the untethered group T 1 showed higher carcass weight values of (4.30 + 9.78 kg), which differed significantly (p< 0.05) from goats in treatment groups T 2, T 3, T 4. Goats in treatment group T 2 showed higher lung weight values of 0.59 + 0.22 kg, while goats in treatment T 4 performed better with a heart weight (0.44 + 0.26 kg). The tethered goats in treatment group T 1 showed higher weight values of the liver (0.95 + 0.1 kg) and kidneys weight of (0.42 + 0.17 kg). The results of total serum protein, urea and glucose showed significant differences (p<0.05) between the treatment groups. The albumin, globulin and cholesterol values did not vary significantly (p< 0.05) between the treatment groups. The results of this study showed that periodic tethering feeding management system was not detrimental to the carcass, organ weight characteristics and serum metabolites of growing West African dwarf goats.


Animal Production Research Avancees Vol. 3 (1) 2007: pp. 13-17