Small Ruminant: Goat Production

Chicory (Chicorum intybus) is becoming popular as a warm-season forage for ruminant livestock in the United States. A study was conducted with weaned crossbred meat goats to elucidate how growing / finishing meat goats grazing Joy chicory pasture respond to supplementation with varying levels of dietary protein. Thirty 6 weaned crossbred kids (26 ± 3 kg) were blocked by body weight and genotype and divided into 3 treatment groups. Each treatment group was replicated in 2 0.4 ha Joy chicory and native grass paddocks with 6 kids per paddock and supplemented with isocaloric grower / finisher ration containing 11, 16 or 21% crude protein for 56 d. The data generated from the study was subjected to Analysis of Variance for randomized complete block design. Grower / finisher ration intake (1.13, 1.31 and 1.31 kg / day) and cost (0.41, 0.51 and 0.51 dollars / day) for the 11, 16 and 21% protein supplemented groups, respectively) were not affected by protein content of the diet. Total live weight gain (7.7 kg) and average daily gain (145.0 g) for the16% protein level were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than for the 11% (2.7 kg and 52.0 g, respectively) and 21% (6.0 kg and 113.0 g, respectively) protein levels. Feed cost per kg gain was significantly lower (P < 0.05) for the 16% protein level than for the 11 and 21% protein levels (3.5 versus 7.8 and 4.5 dollars / day, respectively). Boneless retail cut from the leg, loin, shoulder and rack followed similar trend as weight gain, being significantly higher (P < 0.05)for the 16% protein level than for the 11 and 21% while the 21% level was higher than the 11%. Back fat thickness and fat cover over the carcass tended to increase (P < 0.05) with protein level in the diet. It is concluded that optimum performance and return from meat goats grazing Joy Chicory is obtained when they are supplemented with 16% protein in the diet as compared with lower (11%) and higher (21%) levels.