Improving growth and reproduction of local goats on dry land in Timor by supplementation with Sesbania (Sesbania grandiflora) and palm pith (Corypha gebanga)

A study was conducted to evaluate the growth rate and reproductive performance of local goats on dry land on the island of Timor by supplementing with tree legumes as a protein source and local palm pith as a carbohydrate source. The research was conducted from November 1991 to December 1993. The study used 60 local female goats, four to six months of age, individually penned. However, the number of animals was reduced to 48 does in the final year of the experiment due to sickness and mortality. The animals were divided into four treatments: 1. grazing during the day and penned at night without supplement as a control, 2. control plus Sesbania leaf supplement, 3. control plus palm pith supplement, 4. control plus a mixture of 50 percent Sesbania and 50 percent palm pith supplement. The supplements were offered at night in the individual pens. Results showed that supplementation increased body weight gains from 23.7 g/head/day in the control group to a maximum gain of 35.2 g/head/day/ in the mixed sesbania and palm pith supplemented group. The number of kids born increased from 11 head/3 years in control group to 21 head/3 years in the Sesbania supplemented group. The abortion rate was reduced from 4 head/3 years in the control group to 1 head/3 years in the Sesbania and Sesbania/palm pith supplemented groups. The kidding interval was reduced from 12.5 months in control group to 10.4 in the Sesbania supplemented group. The supplement treatments produced heavier kid birth weights (1.45 more or less 0.2 kg for males and 1.24 more or less 0.4 kg for females in the control group to 2.30 more or less 0.2 kg for males and 1.49 more or less 0.1 kg for females in the Sesbania supplemented group). Groups receiving supplement also had higher doe weights at the first kidding, 12.3 more or less 1.1 kg in control group versus 18.8 more or less 3.5 kg in the Sesbania/palm pith mixture group. However, there was no difference in doe age at first kidding between supplemented and control groups (average 16 months)