PSXIII-B-15 Late Weaning Improves Growth and Reduces the Breeding age in Alpine Dairy Goats

• Published in: Journal of animal science 2022-09, Vol.100 (Supplement_3), p.328-329
• Main Authors: Lévesque, Janie, Julien, Carl
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Poster Presentations
• ISSN: 0021-8812; 1525-3163
• DOI: 10.1093/jas/skac247.600

The aim was to evaluate the effect of weaning age on growth in Alpine dairy goats. Thirty-six female kids were randomly assigned to one of 3 treatments: 1) early weaning at 6 wk of age (6-wk), 2) weaning at 8 wk of age (8-wk), and 3) late weaning at 10 wk of age (10-wk). Treatments were blocked by BW and birth date, and each female kid was housed with a male companion of similar age and BW. Kids had ad libitum access to acidified milk replacer (ME=4.7 Mcal/kg DM), kid starter (ME=2.35 Mcal/kg DM), hay (ME=1.26 Mcal/kg DM) and water. Weaning was performed progressively over 7 d. For the 12 wk period, feed intakes for 6-wk, 8-wk and 10-wk were respectively: 135, 201 and 287 g/d for milk replacer; 90, 68, 54 g/d for hay; 25, 19 and 13 g/d for starter feed. Total ME intake was higher when increasing weaning age (6-wk, 281 kcal/d; 8-wk, 303 kcal/d; 10-wk, 371 kcal/d, P< 0.05). Interestingly, at weaning, total ME intake dropped more markedly when weaning was early (6-wk, 95 kcal/d; 8-wk, 297 kcal/d; 10-wk, 451 kcal/d, P< 0.05). 10-wk had higher BW at 12 wk of age (23.9 kg), compared with 6-wk (21.2 kg, P=0.004), and a trend was observed with 8-wk (22.2 kg, P=0.059). This effect of weaning age on BW was prolonged over time with heavier BW in 10-wk at 8 months (36.1 kg), compared to 6-wk (33.6 kg, P=0.04), and a trend was observed with 8-wk (34.0 kg). Using growth curves, extending the weaning age of dairy goats allowed to reach the breeding BW target of 32 kg sooner (6-wk, 191 d; 8-wk, 188 d; 10-wk, 161 d, P< 0.05). Overall, weaning kids at 10 wk limited the negative impact of earlier weaning on growth in the Alpine breed.