• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.547-554
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• 1994

This paper presents the effects of supplementary feeding and internal parasites on the growth rates of female weaner goats raised under improved management. A completely randomized $3{\times}3{\times}2$ factorial design was used. Factors were genotype (Thai native: TN, 75% TN $\times$ 25% Anglo-Nubian: An and 50% TN $\times$ 50% AN), feeding grazing only, low (1.0% BW/d) and high (1.5% BW/d) supplementation and parasite control (undrenched and drenched). It was shown that native goats had significantly (p<0.05) higher growth rates than did the cross-bred goats from 12-24 weeks of the trial. The growth rate of goats grazing improved pasture depended on the amount of concentrate offered as a supplement. There was no significant difference in growth rates between undrenched and drenched goats. There was no interaction effect on growth rates between the treatments. Drenched goats had significantly (p<0.01) lower egg counts per gram of gastro-intestinal nematode than did undrenched goats. There was no significant difference between the treatments for blood constituents (total protein, haemoglobin, packed cell volume, eosinophils, lymphocytes, monocytes and basophils).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.555-561
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• 1994

This paper presents results from a study of the body composition and sensory characteristics of female weaner goat meat. A completely randomized $3{\times}3{\times}2$ factorial design was used. Factors were genotype (Thai native; TN, 75% TN $\times$ 25% Anglo-Nubian; AN and 50% TN $\times$ 50% AN), feeding {grazing only, low (1.0% BW/d) and high (1.5% BW/d) concentrate supplementation and parasite control (undrenched and drenched)}. It was shown that there was no effect of genotype on body components and dressing percentage. However, TN and 75% TN $\times$ 25% AN kids had significantly (p<0.05) higher muscle to bone ratios (4.20% and 4.20%, respectively) compared with 50% TN $\times$ 50% AN kids (3.88%). Kids on grazing only had significantly (p<0.01) higher muscle percentage (64.12%) than did kids in low (61.30%) and high (60.62%) supplementary feeding program, but there was no significant (p>0.05) difference between low and high supplementary feeding groups. Kids offered supplementary feeding had significantly (p<0.01) higher percentages of total fat, intermuscular fat, pelvic fat and kidney fat than those of grazing only. Kids offered supplementary feeding had significantly (p<0.05) higher muscle to bone ratios and significantly (p<0.01) higher muscle plus fat to bone ratios compared with those of grazing only. This may be due to significantly lower (p<0.01) bone contents (14.95, 14.17 and 16.8% for kids offered low and high supplementary feeding and grazing only, respectively. There was no significant difference in sensory characteristics of goat meat between genotypes or feeding groups.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.563-570
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• 1994

Fifty-one Thai Native (TN) and Anglo-Nubian (AN) $\times$ TN does were studied. The purpose of the study was to investigate the reproductive performances of different goat genotypes grazing improved pasture with or without supplementary feeding. The feeding regimes were: 1. no concentrate supplement (T1), 2. supplemented for 15 days before mating and 45 days during mating period (T2), 3. supplemented from 15 days before mating to 42 days after kidding (T3) and 4. supplemented for 30 days before kidding, followed by 42 days after kidding. Cross-bred does tended to have higher conception rates, kidding opportunities and higher multiple birth rates than TN does. However, these differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05), and concentrate supplementation under the various regimes did not increase reproductive performance. TN kids had significantly (p<0.01) lower birth weights and lower weights at 3, 6 and 12 weeks of age than those of the cross-bred kids. However, there was no significant difference between the genotypes in growth rate (g/d or $g/kg^{75}/d$) of kids during these periods. Supplementary feeding did not significantly affect either kid birth weight or weight gain in the first 6 weeks after birth and during this period supplementary adequate in both quantity and quality, substantial reproductive performances were achieved from both TN and AN $\times$ TN does without concentrate supplementation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.241-247
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• 1995

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of internal parasites on growth rates of Thai Native (TN) and crossbred (75% TN $\times$ 25% Anglo-Nubian, AN and 50% TN $\times$ 50% AN) goats (undrenched, drenched every 3 weeks or at 9 weeks) in village environments in southern Thailand in a humid tropical climate. There was no significant (p > 0.05) difference in growth rate ($g/kg^{0.75}/d$) between the genotypes during unsupplemented grazing (0-64 days of the experimental period). However, during supplementary feeding (64-127 days) and throughout the period (0-127 days) TN goats had significantly (p < 0.01) lower growth rates compared with 75% TN $\times$ 25% AN and 50% TN $\times$ 50% AN goats. There was no (p > 0.05) significant difference in growth rates between 75% TN $\times$ 25% AN and 50% TN $\times$ 50 % AN goats. The growth rates of goats drenched every 3 weeks were significantly (p < 0.01) higher than those undrenched or drenched at 9 weeks. The results of this study also indicate that drenching alone did not result in increased weight gain except when the nutritional status was also improved. Parasitic infection affected some blood constituents, such as pack cell volume, haemoglobin, total protein and albumin. This resulted in lower growth rates for control groups and goats drenched at 9 weeks compared to those of goats drenched every 3 weeks.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.255-261
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• 1995

This paper presents results from a study of the effects of age and sex on body and carcass composition of different goat genotypes. A completely randomized $3{\times}3{\times}2$ factorial design was used. Factors were genotype (Thai Native; TN, $50%TN{\times}50%$ Anglo-Nubian (AN) and $25%TN{\times}75%AN$ goats), age ($206{\pm}8$, $349{\pm}9$ and $428{\pm}8days$ or 6.9, 11.6 and 14.3 months, respectively) and sex (male and female). It was shown that TN kids had significantly higher (p < 0.05) hind percentage (7.9%) compared with $50%TN{\times}50% AN$ (7.2%) and $25%TN{\times}75%AN$ (7.1 %) kids. TN kids had a significantly (p < 0.05) higher heart percentage (0.44%) than that of $25%TN{\times}75%AN$ kids (0.38%). However, there was no significant difference in heart percentage between TN and $50%TN{\times}50%AN$ and between $50% TN{\times}50%AN$ and $25%TN{\times}75%AN$ kids. TN and $50%TN{\times}50%AN$ kids had significantly higher (p < 0.05) carcass muscle content (63.1 and 63.7%, respectively) than did $25%TN{\times}75%AN$ kids (59.9%). Kids at 6.9 months of age had significantly higher percentages of hide, feet, intestinal tract, liver, heart, kidneys and carcass bone than those of kids at 11.6 and 14.3 months of age. There were no significant differences in these characteristics between kids at 11.6 and 14.3 months of age. However, kids at 11.6 and 14.3 months of age had significantly higher percentages of omental fat, dressing carcass, muscle, total fat (subcutaneous + intermuscular + kidney and pelvic fat), muscle to bone ratios (MBR), and muscle plus fat to bone ratios (MFBR) than those of kids at 6.9 months. Males had significantly higher gut contents, but lower percentages of liver, omental fat and heart. Prediction equations were developed relating empty body weight (EBW) to hot carcass weight and some dissectible carcass fractions.