Nutritional effects on puberty and production performance of ewe lambs and goat kids

Abstract

Chios ewe lambs and Damascus goat kids born in autumn or spring were used to study nutritional effects during development on their performance. Within species and season of birth, the animals were allocated at random to 3 equal sized groups. Group A animals were put on a high, group B on a medium plane of nutrition and group C on a medium plus increased protein intake from 3 weeks prior to the start and until the end of mating. At monthly intervals, the animals were weighed and feed offered was adjusted accordingly. Following mating, all animals were housed and fed as a single group at slightly above maintenance plus a pregnancy allowance for the last 6 weeks prepartum. With the exception of the induced higher BW at mating, daily BW gain and daily concentrate and roughage intake until mating of animals in group A compared to those in B and C, there were no differences among treatments for litter size and 60 d milk yield in either autumn born or spring born lambs and kids. Similarly, there was no difference among treatments in the no. of animals pregnant and delivering. Based on the findings of the present study it may be concluded that there is no need for BW greater than 44 kg (around 65% of mature BW) at mating and of additional (>14% CP DM) protein 3 weeks prior to start and until the end of mating to attain higher productive and reproductive performance of lambs and kids.