Correlation Between Milk Composition and Kids Growth of West African Dwarf (WAD) Goat Fed Forage Based Diet in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract
The study was conducted on the effects of five different forages: Albizia odoratissima, Gliricidia sepium, Leuceana leucocephalla, Spondias mombin, Ficus thonningii and Panicum maximum as control on milk composition, stages of lactation and growth rate of west African dwarf (WAD) goat kids. Twenty one WAD does with their kids were randomly allotted to treatments in a complete randomized design. The test materials had crude protein content (CP) between 14- 24%. Supplemented feed was provided at 2% body weight. The influence of diet on milk composition was significant (p<0.05) with a CP content ranging from 3.10 to 3.92%, milk fat 3.5 to 4.2%, solid-not-fat 11.7 to 13.30% and total ash (0.76-0.96%). The group of animals treated with GL + C showed the highest CP value of milk. Also, the contents of milk protein (3.00 to 3.80%), fat (3.47 to 3.88%) solid not fat (11.31 to13.24%), lactose (4.20 to 4.53%), total ash (0.64 to 0.91%) and total solid (14.83 to 17.12%) varied significantly (p<0.05) among the different stages of lactation. In contrast, the pH of milk (6.75 to 6.99) did not vary among the treatments. The weight of kids at twelve weeks of age was found to be significantly (p<0.005) different which ranged between 3.73 and 5.47kg. The kids under Panicum maximum were dying because their mothers were seriously emaciating and the milk yield could not sustain the kids. It is therefore suggested that browse plants or concentrate supplementation should be encouraged for low quality pasture like guinea grass.
Description
Keywords
Citation