Performance and feed utilisation in Saanen goats as influenced by castration and diet

Abstract

A growth peiformance study was conducted on 30 male and 30 castrate growing Saanen goats. Observations were made in 3 stages, from 5 days to weaning at 36 days from weaning to 24.5kg live weight and from 24.5 kg live weight to to 36.5 kg live weight. The number of animals per treatment was decreasing with period as three animals and six animals were slaughtered at weaning and at 24.5 live weight for carcass composition studies. The goats were either fed ad libitum barley - based concentrate diet or lucerne pellets.  During the weaning to 24.5 kg live weight period, 12 goats (6 males and 6 castrates) were allocated, to the two dietary treatments and assessed for feed digestibillty, nitrogen utilization and water intake. There were little castration and diet effects on performance of goats from arrival to weaning. Males grew faster (222 vs 183 g/day), had lower feed conversion ratios (3.13 vs 4.11 g DM/g gain) and higher dry matter intake (751 vs 744g/day) than castrates during the weaning to 24.5 kg live weight period. However, in the 24.5 to 36.5 kg live weight period, castrates were superior to male goats in most parameters, studied. Digestibility coefficients were higher in barley - based diet. Dry matter intake as percentage of live weight ranged from 2.51 to 3.86. Nitrogen was better retained in goats on barley concentrate. Goats consumed water equivalent to 8 to 12 % of their live weight with higher values being for goats fed lucerne diet.

Keywords: Castration, diet, feed conversion, Saanen goats

Tanzania J.Agric.Sc. (2005) Vol.6 No.2, 55-61