Growth and reproductive performance of goats fed rice forage

The crude protein composition of rice forage hay (RFH), rice forage silage (RFS), stargrass (SG) and concentrate were 7.82, 8.70, 9.03 and 19.50, respectively. Calcium, phosphorus, potassium and copper were in sufficient quantities. However, the amount of magnesium and selenium were very low and zinc deficiency may result because of high calcium level. On growth performance, goats fed RFH + SG with concentrate had higher total and average daily gain (1.32 kg and 15.68 g/day) compared with the other treatments. Total roughage intake was also better for Treatment 1 (RFH + SG) with supplementation. Concentrate intake level were similar for all treatments. Feed conversion efficiency for Treatment 1 (RFH + SG) and 2 (RFS + SG) with supplementation was 4.34 and 3.39 for Treatment 1 and 2 without supplementation, 1.39 and 1.78 and for Treatment 3 (RFH + RFS + SG) with and without supplementation, 1.68 and 1.40. Differences however, were not significant. Dry matter intake was significantly higher for Treatment 1 with concentrate. Mortality was incurred for goats without supplementation and with low liveweights. On reproductive performance of goats receiving RFH + SG as basal ration, there was no significant differences noted on total and average daily roughage intake for treatments with 0.5 and 1.0% concentrate supplementation. Dry matter intake was 1.56 and 1.71 for Treatments 1 (0.5% concentrate) and 2 (1.0% concentrate), respectively. The number of services per conception and conception rate were 1.2 and 87.5% for Treatment 1 and 2.2 and 64.5% for Treatment 2. Using rice forage silage and stargrass, results showed variable roughage intake values of six does receiving two levels of concentrate supplementation. Goats given 1.0% concentrate showed signs of estrus much earlier than those given 0.5%. The major component of the total cost incurred were labor, animals and the individual pens provided for each animal. Rice forage hay and silage contributed the least of all the cost.