Placental mass of grazing Tswana goats kidding at two different periods during the dry season

Abstract

Two trials were carried out to investigate placental mass of Tswana goats kidding at two different periods during the dry season. Treatments groups with similar weights in Trial l were: Supplementing throughout the trial (SS I), no supplementation at all (NN I), supplementing during the first 103 days of gestation (SNI) and no supplementation during the first 103 days and feed offered thereafter (NSI). In Trial 2 the treatment were similar to those of Trial 1 except that crossover between SN and NS occurred at day 145 of gestation. In Trial 1 there was treatment and dam parturition weight (DPW) effect on total birth weight/doe (TBW). This was not the case with Trial 2. Placental mass (PM) in Trial 1 was neither affected by treatment or DPW while in Trial 2 treatment affected PM. TBW was correlated with DPW in Trial l while in Trial 2 correlation was moderate. PM tended to be correlated to DPW in Trial 2 but was significantly …