Rafael Batista

Desenvolvimento ponderal e biométrico de cabritos lactentes com acesso ao creep feeding em diferentes idades

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the availability of creep feeding for different periods of time on weight gain, weaning weight, body condition and biometric measurements bodily crossbred goats breed Boer. 12 goats were used 7/8 Boer, nursing mothers, and their offspring, in three treatments, totaling 27 kids, nine per treatment. The experimental design was a completely randomized design with three treatments and nine replications by treatment. The treatments were: access to creep feed from birth to 70 days of age; access to creep feed from 20 days until 70 days of age; access to creep feed from 40 days until 70 days of age. Data were collected every 10 days. The analysis of variance and comparison of means was performed by Tukey test. The different treatments possible differences in weight gain, body weight, body length, heart girth and abdominal and hip height. There was no difference in body condition and withers height and animals. The best results were observed in groups subjected to higher access times supplementation. Thus, we indicate this type of supplementation during breastfeeding for at least 50 days, and demonstrate the irrelevance of supply concentrated in the first 20 days of life.