Pubertal traits of male goats kept on rations supplemented with different protein types

This study was carried out to determine the impact of type of protein supplementation to the ration on pubertal characteristics of male goat kids. Eighteen crossbred (Nubian × Saanen) weaned male goat kids were distributed to 3 ration groups. Group I (n=6) was kept on a ration supplemented with ground nut cakes, group II (n=6) on a ration supplemented with sesame cakes and group II (n=6) on a ration supplemented with cotton seed cakes. The pubertal traits studied were preputial separation, scrotal circumference at puberty, weight and age at puberty, ejaculate volume, individual motility percent and mass motility of semen, percentages of live and abnormal morphology spermatozoa and the concentration of spermatozoa. The results of this study revealed that only the pubertal body and the percentage of abnormal sperms were significantly influenced (p˂0.05) with protein type.The least pubertal body weights and the high percentages of abnormal sperms were recorded in male goats kept on a ration supplemented with cotton seed cakes. Although the scrotal circumference was the least in the group fed on cotton seed cake based ration, it was not significantly (p˃0.05) different from that of the other groups. It is concluded that the pubertal traits of male goat kids kept on rations supplemented with groundnut, sesame, or cotton seed cakes are nearly similar. However, cotton seed cakes supplementation to the ration of growing male goat kids reduces the pubertal body weight and increases the percentage of abnormal sperms.