• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.848-856
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• 2004

Black Bengal goat is primarily reared for meat, skin comes here as a by-product. The present trial describes the effect of age on different carcass characteristics of Black Bengal goats of either sex. A total of 61 Black Bengal goats of different age and sex groups were slaughtered. They were reared under semi-intensive management on milk alone or with concentrates (of 10.14 MJ ME and 10.48 g M/kg DM) and freshly cut Napier grass (2 MJ ME and 25 g CP/kg of fresh matter) that provides the estimated NRC (1981) requirement. The four age groups were: pre-weaned kids (0-90 day), post-weaned kids (91-180 days), growing (181-365 days) and adult (>365 days). Goats were slaughtered according to 'Halal' method by severing the major vessels of the throat by a transverse cut. Different slaughter parameters of Black Bengal goat can be best predicted from the equations as follows: live weight (kg)=0.801 (shoulder height (cm))-24.32, ($r^{2}$=0.94); carcass weight (kg)=0.364 (height at hind legs (cm))-11.54, ($r^{2}$=0.91); edible weight (kg)=0.623 (shoulder height (cm))-19.94, ($r^{2}$=0.91) and saleable weight (kg)=0.701 (shoulder height (cm))-21.99, ($r^{2}$=0.92). Live weight, carcass weight, edible weight and saleable weight of castrated goat at one-year onward ranges from 20-22, 9.4-10.5, 14-16 and 16.6-18.8 kg, respectively, which are about 80% higher than most of the reported observations on Black Bengal goat of same age and sex. Slaughter weight, warm carcass weight, edible weight and saleable weight increased curvilinearly with age of slaughter but not affected (p>0.05) by sex. However, linearity of the response curve of affect of age on mentioned parameters ends at around 9 months. Visceral fat as per cent of live weight increased curvilinearly with age and attain its maximum (about 6%) at about 500 days. However, linear part of the quadratic model ends at about 300 days when visceral fat content is about 4.8% of body weight. Blood and skin yield for one-year old male goat was 797 g and 1.61 kg, respectively. Absolute yield of blood and skin increased curvilinealry and attained maximum level at about 400 days (13.3 months). Average proportion of different carcass cut were - round 27%, rump 7%, loin 10%, ribs (6-12th) 14%, shoulder 21%, Neck 7%, chest 14%. Thigh and shoulder constituted about 48.3% of the cold carcass weight. Overall crude protein content of meat samples of different carcass cuts progressively decreased with age starting from 57 at 0-90 days to 58, 47 and 33 per cent, respectively at 91-180, 181-365 and >365 days, respectively. Overall meat fat content increased almost linearly from 11.1% during 91-180 days to 22.9 and 39.5% during 181-365 and >365days, respectively. Results from this trial suggest that both carcass yield and carcass composition changes with age; and sex have little or no effect on carcass yield and carcass composition. However, caution should be made in using second conclusion as there were few female animals slaughtered relative to the male. Optimum slaughter age for Black Bengal goat reared under semi-intensive management with adequate feeding and management would be about 9 months when their live weight, warm carcass weight, edible and saleable weight of carcass can be about 16.74, 7.28, 12.05 and 13.81 kg, respectively.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.521-525
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• 2006

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of flushing of ewes with concentrate pellets just before the mating season on their nutrient utilization and reproductive performance on farms. Forty-eight Malpura ewes, 1-5 years old were randomly divided into 2 groups of 24 each (G1and G2). Ewes in both the groups were grazed on natural rangeland from 07.00 to 18.00 hr followed by night shelter in animal shed. G1 ewes were maintained on sole grazing while G2 ewes, in addition to grazing, received concentrate pellets at the rate of 1.5% of their body weight. The mean biomass yield of the community rangeland was 0.46 ton DM/hectare. The intakes of DM (g/kg $W^{0.75}$), DCP (g/kg $W^{0.75}$) and ME (MJ/kg $W^{0.75}$) were higher (p<0.01) in G2 as compared to that of G1 being 86.5, 10.2 and 1.15 and 57.5, 4.7 and 0.75, respectively. The digestibility of DM, OM, CP, NDF and hemicellulose were also higher (p<0.01) in G2 as compared to that of G1 being 57.2, 76.7, 78.9, 51.9 and 81.6 and 50.8, 68.7, 68.4, 45.4 and 74.4, respectively. The conception rate was higher (79.2%) in flushed ewes as compared to that of non-flushed (66.7%). Five of the pregnant ewes died and another 5 aborted in G1 while in G2, 5 ewes aborted with no mortality. The lambing was higher (73.7%) in G2 than that in G1 (37.5%). The birth weight of lambs was higher (p<0.05) in G2 (3.47 kg) than that in G1 (2.95 kg). Further, the birth weight of male lambs was higher (3.28) than that of female lambs (3.14). It is concluded that the biomass yield of the community rangeland in semi-arid region of India is low and insufficient to meet the nutrient requirement of ewes prior to mating season. However, concentrate supplementation at the rate of 1.5% of body weight to ewes during this critical stage enhanced their plane of nutrition, reproductive performance, body condition and birth weights of lambs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.983-987
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• 2003

Malpura and Kheri ewes (76) in their late gestation, weighing $34.40{\pm}0.95kg$ were randomly selected and divided into 4 groups of 19 each (G1, G2, G3 and G4). Ewes in all the groups were grazed on natural rangeland from 07.00 h to 18.00 h. Ewes in G1were maintained on sole grazing while ewes in G2, G3 and G4, in addition to grazing received concentrate mixture at the rate of 1% of their body weight during late gestation, early lactation and entire last quarter of pregnancy to early quarter of lactation, respectively. The herbage yield of the community rangeland was 0.82 metric ton dry matter/hectare. The diet consisted of (%) Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) bhusa, (59.2), Babool pods and leaves (17.2), Bajra (Pennisetum typhoides) stubbles (8.8), Doob (5.3), Aak (4.2) and others (5.3). The nutrient intake and its digestibility were higher (p<0.01) in G2, G3 and G4 as compared to G1 because of concentrate supplementation. The intakes of DM ($g/kg\;W{^0.75}$), DCP ($g/kg\;W{^0.75}$) and ME ($MJ/kg\;W{^0.75}$) were 56.7, 5.3 and 0.83; 82.7, 12.2 and 1.16; 82.7, 12.1 and 1.17 and 83.1, 12.3 and 1.18 in G1, G2, G3 and G4, respectively. The per cent digestibility of DM, OM, CP, NDF, ADF and cellulose was 57.9, 68.8, 68.7, 52.3, 37.5 and 68.4; 67.6, 76.1, 82.3, 60.6, 44.5 and 73.4; 67.6, 76.1, 81.5, 60.6, 44.8 and 74.5 and 67.6, 76.1, 82.3, 60.6, 44.7 and 73.3 in G1, G2, G3 and G4, respectively. The nutrient intake of G2, G3 and G4 ewes was sufficient to meet their requirements. The ewes raised on sole grazing lost weight at lambing in comparison to advanced pregnancy. However, ewes raised on supplementary feeding gained 1.9-2.5 kg at lambing. The birth weight of lambs in G2 (3.92) and G4 (4.07) was higher (p<0.01) than G1 (2.98), where as in G1 and G3 it was similar. The weight of lambs at 15, 45 and 60 days of age were higher in G2, G3 and G4 than in G1. Similarly, the average daily gain (ADG) after 60 days was also higher in G2, G3 and G4 than in G1. The milk-yield of lactating ewes in G2, G3 and G4 increased up to 150-250 g per day in comparison to G1. The birth weight, weight at 15, 30, 45 and 60 days, weight gain and ADG at 30 or 60 days was similar both in male and female lambs. It is concluded from this study that the biomass yield of the community rangeland is low and insufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of ewes during late gestation and early lactation. Therefore, it is recommended concentrate supplementation at the rate of 1% of body weight to ewes during these critical stages to enhance their production performance, general condition as well as birth weight and growth rate of lambs.