EFFECTS OF CONCENTRATE DIETS SUPPLEMENTATION ON SOME PREGNANCY VARIABLES AND WEIGHT OF KIDS OF KALAHARI RED DOES GRAZED ON Chloris gayana

Abstract

A study was conducted for 22 weeks (153 days) to determine the effects of concentrate diets supplementation at three protein levels ie. T1, 12.42% (124.93gday'), T2, 14.18% (1 45.87gday') and T3, 16.35% (168.1 9gday'') on some pregnancy variables and weight ofkids kidded by pregnant Kalahari Red does grazed on paddock planted with Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana). A total of 33 matured Kalahari Red does of first parity within age range of 2 to 2'/,years with an average body weight of 38.10+1.13kg were randomly allotted to these 3 diets at 11 does per treatment. The diets were fed at 3% of the body weight on dry matter basis, and water was made available to the does ad libitum throughout the study. Data obtained were subjected to Analysis of Variance in a completely randomized design. It was observed that does fed T3, had highest (p<0.05) values for products of pregnancy (10.35kg) taken within 24hours before kidding and foetal growth rate (88.37gday'') during pregnancy. Conversely, does fed T2, had lowest values (p<0.05) of 9.28kg and 80.07gday" for each of the respective parameters. Afterbirth weight was also highest and lowest (p> 0.05) for does supplemented with T3 (3.38kg) and T2 (3.04kg) respectively. On the other hand, T2, supplemented does had highest value (p<0.05) for litter weight at birth which was 6.80kg, the value which was least for T3, supplementation. Doe fed T2, had the highest value for birth weight (3.20kg). From the results obtained from this study, it could be concluded that concentrate diet supplementation with 14.18% CP improved litter weight at birth with resultant reduction in weights of pregnancy variables of pregnant Kalahari Red does grazed on Rhodes grass.