Productive potential of local grazing does and their offspring under a pre and post–partum feeding supplementation program

Abstract

The production of goat's milk under extensive grazing is very important to ensure an adequate growth of the progeny, but the productivity of local does and their progeny is not accurately characterized, particularly in the semi–arid Region of Northern Mexico. The aim was to evaluate the productive potential performance of local does and their offspring, when does are offered a supplementary feeding program in pre and post–partum period. Twenty–four local does and their progeny (n=40) were used and divided into two groups: 1) Control group; does fed exclusively on grazing, 2) Supplemented group; does were supplemented at 1.5% of live weight 45 d before and 45 d after parturition. Differences due to treatment were found (P<0.05) for kid´s weight at sale (KWS), kid´s age at sale (KAS), kid´s daily weight gain (KDWG) and doe’s milk production (DMP). Kid’s mortality percentage and birth weight, milk fat content and doe’s live weight did not differ between treatments (P>0.05). High positive correlations between kid´s weight at birth (KWB) and KWS and KDWG were found (P<0.0001), but it was negative with KAS. On the other hand, KWS was positively correlated (P<0.05) with KDWG and DMP. Finally, KAS was negatively correlated with KDWG (P<0.0001) as well as KDWG with DMP (P<0.001) and protein content (P<0.05). Its concluded that pre and postpartum supplementation in local does helps to express the productive potential for milk production, plus protein and lactose contents at starting of lactation, which in turn enhanced the performance of their progeny.