The Opuntia Effect Improves Dam-Kid Metabolic Markers, Augments Colostrum Quality and Enhances Kid-To-Dam Behavioral Interactions in Crossbred Goats and their Offspring under Semiarid-Rangeland Conditions

• Published in: Animals (Basel) 2020-06, Vol.10 (6)
• Main Authors: Veliz-Deras, Francisco G, Meza-Herrera, Cesar A, Herrera-Hernandez, Sharon, Flores-Hernandez, Arnoldo, Guillen-Munoz, Juan M, 0, Cayetano Navarrete- Molina, Moreno-Avalos, Silvestre, Rodriguez-Ma
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Food and nutrition; Goats; Health aspects; Physiological aspects; Prickly pears
• ISSN: 2076-2615; 2076-2615
• DOI: 10.3390/anil0060931

The possible effect of protein-enriched Opuntia cladode supplementation during the pre- and post-partum stages (-25 days to +15 days; day 0 = kidding) upon dam-kid metabolic status, colostrum-milk quality, and some behavioral kid-to-dam interaction in goats managed under rangeland extensive conditions was evaluated. Multiparous crossbred goats (n = 30), homogeneous regarding live weight (LW; 55.9 [+ or -] 1.03 kg) and body condition score (BCS; 2.5 [+ or -] 0.2 units), were randomly assigned to (1) protein-enriched Opuntia (PEO; n = 10; 29.8% crude protein (CP), 2.2 Meal ME [kg.sup.-1]), (2) non-enriched Opuntia (NEO; n = 10; 6.4% CP, 2.1 Meal ME [kg.sup.-1]), and (3) control (CON; n = 10, non-supplemented). The PEO and NEO goats were individually supplemented with Opuntia cladodes (250 g [day.sup.-1]; 09:00-10:00 a.m.; 25 days pre- and 15 days post-partum); then, all groups grazed in a marginal rangeland (10:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.). LW, BCS, and blood samples to quantify serum glucose (GLU) levels were collected weekly from day -25 up to day +15 in both dams (preand post-partum) and kids (post-partum). At 4 h and 8 h post-partum, kid-to-dam behavioral tests were performed; approaches (APRO, units), animal-to-animal contact (ACONT, s), latency-to-contact (LCONT, s), and high (HPB) and low (LPB) bleats were registered. The response variables LW (58.2 [+ or -] 3.5 kg), GLU from does (66.4 [+ or -] 3.3 mg/dL), colostrum fat (12.3 [+ or -] 1.15%), non- fatty solids (20.9 [+ or -] 2.1%), density (64.4 [+ or -] 7.0%), and protein (8.1 [+ or -] 0.8%), as well as milk density (31.2 [+ or -] 1.7%) and protein (3.9 [+ or -] 0.3%), favored the PEO group. Moreover, the dam-to-kid 4 h LPB (34.5 [+ or -] 4.6 frequency), as well as kid-to-dam 8 h LCONT-own (100 [+ or -] 35.5 s) and LPB (25.2 [+ or -] 6.9 frequency) also favored the PEO group. To conclude, peripartum supplementation with protein-enriched Opuntia cladodes emerged as a key alternative to enhance the dam-kid metabolic status, to improve colostrum quality and some milk components (density and protein), as well as to expand the kid-to- dam bond in goat production systems under marginal extensive conditions. Keywords: goats; Opuntia; targeted supplementation; productive efficiency The potential supplementation effect of protein-enriched Opuntia (PEO) cladodes, the flat leaf-like stem of cactus species, upon metabolic cues, colostrum, and milk quality, as well as some indicators of kid-to-dam behavioral interacti