EFFECT OF ADDING FENUGREEK SEEDS TO GOAT RATIONS AND AGE AT WEANING ON THE FATTENING PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF BALADI MALE KIDS | ||
| Egyptian Journal of Nutrition and Feeds | ||
| Article 8, Volume 18, Issue 2 Special, November 2015, Pages 55-63 PDF (656.12 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejnf.2015.104423 | ||
| Authors | ||
| R. Salama; Sh. M. Fouda; M. A. I. El-Sysy; A. S. Gomaa | ||
| Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Agric., Anim. Prod. Department, Nasr city, Cairo, Egypt. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Twenty four male Baladi kids were used in a fattening trial to investigate the effect of age at weaning and fenugreek seeds supplements to fattening ration on kids performance, carcass characteristics and meat chemical composition. Newborn male Baladi kids were randomly assigned after birth to two equal groups (each of 12 kids). Both the two groups were randomly subdivided into two sub-weaning groups to be either weaned early (8 wks old age or later weaned to 16 wks old). Two sub-weaning groups (8 and 16 wks) were supplemented in their creep feeding ration (13.0 % DCP and 78.0 % TDN) with 2 % fenugreek seeds (FS) and served as a treated group, while the others (8 & 16 wks) served as a control (nil fenugreek seeds). Male kids were offered the creep feeding ration at 3 wks old age and up to the respective weaning age, besides suckling their dams. At 16 wks old age, kids were offered a fattening ration (12.62 % CP and 58 % TDN) until 20 kg live body market weight, while treated groups still supplemented in their ration with 2 % fenugreek seeds (FS). Male kids performance, ration digestibility, rumen liquor measurements and kids carcass characteristics and chemical composition were determined. Results obtained indicated that, supplementing fattening rations of male kids with fenugreek seeds led to increase insignificantly ration palatability and intake and improved (p<0.05) ration nutrients digestibility and nutritive values. Adding fenugreek seeds to fattening rations of male kids, showed positive influences in increasing NH3-N release and TVFA`s production in rumen liquor, while time of measuring indicated significant differences in pH, NH3-N and TVFA`s production at different times. Supplementing fattening rations with fenugreek seeds led to improve (p<0.05) treated male kids feed conversion ratio and accelerated (p<0.05) kids daily gain and to more heavier market weight i.e.: 79.95 and 82.10g/h/day for G3 and G4 (the two supplemented rations) in compare with 67.10 and 73.03g/h/day for G1 and G2; (non-supplemented rations), respectively, and 23.72 and 22.12 kg vs. 19.83 and 21.02 kg/h final body market weight for both the two supplemented and non-supplemented rations, respectively. Fattening ration supplements and early weaning practice didn’t have any significant effects on warm carcass weight in kg or slaughter kids dressing percentages. However both the two early fattening groups showed insignificantly heavier warm carcass weight and dressing percentages in compare with the two later weaned ones. Neither fenugreek seeds supplements nor age of kids at weaning had any significant effects on kids eye muscle chemical composition. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Fenugreek seeds; goat rations; kids; age at weaning and carcass characteristics | ||
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