Aoetpah, A., Parker, A. J., Gummow, B., Gardiner, C., Mialone, A., and Walker, G. (2025) Urea and/or cottonseed meal supplements to Rhodes grass hay improve productivity of periparturient crossbred Boer goat does. Livestock Research for Rural Development, 37 (1). 7.

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Abstract

Periparturient meat goats grazing on low-quality tropical pasture could experienced pregnancy toxaemia. Protein supplementation was expected to enhance the goats’ productivity. This study sought to limit loss of live weight (LW) and to prevent metabolic disorders in periparturient crossbred Boer does. Twelve pregnant does (LW 62.2 +/-6.30 kg, mean +/-sem) were allocated to treatment groups; Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) hay as control (CON) or CON supplemented with non protein nitrogen as urea (U), protein nitrogen as cottonseed meal (CSM) or urea plus cottonseed meal (UCSM). The supplemented diets were isonitrogenous (crude protein 143 g/kg DM) with varied undegradable and rumen degradable protein. The does had ad libitum access to the basal diet, fresh drinking water and mineral lick. The fixed effects of dietary treatment and physiological period were tested at the p<0.05 threshold. Both the UCSM and CSM supplements increased intakes of DM, protein fractions and metabolizable energy in the does. Despite the higher DMI there were no impacts on LW loss in lactating does. Supplementation with UCSM reduced plasma non-esterified fatty acids and beta-hydroxy butyrate by 0.14 and 0.28 mmol/L by comparison with those on the Con diet. Plasma concentrations of urea of the does were increased by 42.5 (U); 35 (UCSM) and 12.5% (CSM) above that for the Con group. The dietary nitrogen supplements offered to the periparturient goats on tropical grass hay prevented metabolic disorders of the does. Our findings revealed that periparturient Boer does on Rhodes grass hay were well nourished when the does were supplemented with UCSM.

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