Browsing by Subject "goats"
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Item Changes in intake and nutritional quality of saltcedar(2012-05-12) Knight, Colt; Knight, Colt Watson; Scott, Cody B.; Salisbury Michael W.; Whitney, Travis R.; Hama, Mark L.; Angelo State University. Department of Agriculture.Recently weaned Boer-cross (n=20) and Angora (n=6) goats were individually penned and fed increasing amounts of saltcedar. Weight, intake, and water consumption data were monitored. In addition, saltcedar samples were collected during the months of June, July, August, September and October and analyzed for chemical composition. Boer-cross and Angora goats consumed 3.7 g·kg-1 of BW and 3.8 g·kg-1 of BW, respectively, of saltcedar (P > 0.05). Water consumption differed by breed at 0.8 L·d-1 and 2.1 L·d-1 for Angora and Boercross, respectively, but did not differ by period. Both breeds lost weight during the final period of the trial. Crude Protein of saltcedar ranged from 16.0% to 19.6% (P < 0.05) , and TDN averaged 68.5%. Sodium content of saltcedar varied from 0.1% to 2.4%. Dry Matter content averaged 32.2%.Item Feeding specific amino acids to increase redberry juniper consumption by goats(2012-05-12) Steele, Diana; Steele, Diana Kay; Scott, Cody B.; Salisbury, Micheal W.; Whitney, Travis R.; Russell, Connie; Angelo State University. Department of Agriculture.Redberry juniper (Juniperus pinchotii Sudw.) is a chemically defended, invasive brush species in western states. Previous research has demonstrated that goats supplemented with escape protein sources will consume a higher volume of juniper. In this study I attempted to increase the intake of juniper by recently weaned, Boer-Spanish cross goats (n = 30) by randomly placing them into four treatments and a control, and supplementing each treatment group with one of the following amino acids: arginine, proline, leucine, and glutamine. Treatments did not have a significant effect on juniper intake (P > 0.05). All goats increased intake over time (P > 0.05). Goats exhibited significant weight gain over the course of the study (P < 0.05). Blood serum metabolites were within normal limits. Future studies on escape protein supplementation may provide a better understanding of small ruminant physiology in relationship to intake of juniper.Item Inflammatory Gene Expression in Goats in Response to Transport(2012-10-19) Carter, MarkTransport, a common cause of stress in livestock, has been documented to increase cortisol, and epinephrine in goats. However, little is known about the timing of changes in the immune system in these stressed animals. The objective of this study was to determine whether expression of immune-related genes changes in goats that are exposed to transport stress. In this study, 15 Spanish-Boer goats ranging from 3 to 4 yrs of age were transported for 12 h. Goats were divided into 5 groups of 3 and placed in 1.219 m x 1.219 m pens. Blood samples were collected via jugular veni-puncture from each animal at 0 h, 3 h, 6 h, 9 h, and 12 h of transport, plasma and leukocytes were harvested for cortisol analysis and PCR analysis for gene expression. Data was analyzed using trailer location (group) as the experimental unit in a mixed model, repeated measures analysis of variance with compound symmetry and autoregressive covariance structures, depending on the best fit for each model. Percent weight losses were analyzed using a diagonal covariance mixed model. Hourly temperature humidity index (THI) values inside the trailer and from the shade were analyzed using a two-independent sample T-test. Cortisol concentrations were significantly elevated during transport (P<.049), indicating that goats experienced stressful events during hours of transport. Cortisol concentrations peaked after 6 hours, and returned to near basal concentrations after 12 h of transport. There was an overall trend for greater expression of many of the genes of interest to increase expression after 12 h of transport, but none were significantly different from pre-transport expression values. Overall, the data suggests that the goats transported during this study experienced transport stress, as indicated by the elevation in cortisol concentrations, but did not have significant changes in expression of the immune-related genes after 12 h of transport.Item Influence of varying levels of ammonium chloride on urine pH and specific gravity, overall feed conversion, and water consumption in mature wether goats.(2009-05-15) Kennedy, Matthew josephThe objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of orally administered ammonium chloride (NH4CL) on pH and specific gravity of urine, overall gain, and water consumption in mature wethers on a grower/finisher ration. Obstructive urolithiasis, or urinary calculi, is a common problem in sheep and goat production systems utilizing a high grain diet, particularly one high in magnesium. Maintaining animals on a 70 to 90% concentrate ration is most conducive to the formation of urinary calculi. Boer cross wethers (n = 24) were stratified by body weight and randomly assigned within strata to one of three treatment groups. Wethers were placed on a common diet containing 2% NH4Cl during the three week collection period. Treatment consisted of daily oral dosages of 0g NH4CL (CON), 5.85 g NH4CL (TRT 1), or 13.8g NH4CL (TRT 2). Urine collected from TRT2 tested more acidic on the second and fourth collections before coming back linear constant with both the control (CON) and TRT1 . There was no effect of treatment (P < 0.001) on specific gravity of urine. Weight gain was greater (P < 0.01) in TRT1 (4.15 kg) and TRT2 (4.48 kg) as compared to CON wethers (2.95 kg). Water consumption was the most variable of all investigated objectives; all groups began with a linear increase for the first 4 d. Treatment 2 (P < 0.001) then showed significant increase at collections 2 and 4. Treatment 1 stayed more linear with the control with minimal increases (P < 0.001) occurring at periods of more acidic urine. This study indicates that administration of NA4Cl had minimal effect on urine pH, water consumption, and overall gain, but no effect on specific gravity.Item Intake of salt cedar by two different breeds of sheep(2012-12-15) Borroum, Zachary Bryan; Borroum, Zachary Bryan; Cody B. Scott; Michael W. Salisbury; Gil R. Engdahl; Monica Koenigsberg; Angelo State University. Department of Agriculture.Salt cedar encroachment is of great concern in the western portion of the United States. Control attempts have been made with leaf beetles and herbicides in the past, but none yet have been found to be completely successful. The goal of this experiment was to determine if two breeds of sheep would consume salt cedar. Twelve Rambouillet and twelve Suffolks, along with ten Boer goats were penned for approximately one month and fed a basal ration for maintenance and growth, along with fresh salt cedar. Salt cedar intake was measured daily and body weights were taken approximately every week. Initially, intake was low, but after 2 days, consumption levels consistently increased. There was no difference between breeds of sheep, but sheep did eat more salt cedar than goats. Other than the first weigh period, animal weights consistently increased throughout the experiment.Item Maternal influence on juniper consumption in Boer-cross goats(2012-05-12) Jackson, James; Jackson, James Russell; Scott, Cody B.; Salisbury, Micheal W.; Taylor, Charles A.; Tarver, David J.; Angelo State University. Department of Agriculture.The objectives of this study were to determine if maternal influences increased redberry juniper (Junipers pinchottii Sudw.) consumption by goats. Twenty-one Boer nannies were bred to determine the effects of maternal influences from different stages of exposure. Experiment 1, examined the exposure in the uterus in the third trimester, Experiment 2 examined the effect of exposure through lactation. Experiment 3, examined the mothers influence as a social role model and the last treatment group was the control. At weaning, all kids were fed juniper in individual pens at the Angelo State University Management Instruction and Research Center, San Angelo, TX. Kids were fed juniper 30 min each day for 24 days and refusals were weighed back daily to monitor intake. Following the juniper feeding, kids were fed a basal diet of alfalfa pellets (2.5% BW) to meet body maintenance requirements. All kids increased intake over the 24 days of exposure. Kids that foraged with mom on juniper-dominated rangelands initially ate more juniper.Item Nutritive evaluation of two native north Texas legumes (Strophostyles) for goats(Texas A&M University, 2004-11-15) Foster, Jamie LeeThe objective of this study was to determine effects of supplementing coastal bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon; CBG) hay with Strophostyles helvula (98 g kg-1 crude protein (CP), 476 g kg-1 neutral detergent fiber (NDF)), S. leiosperma (117 g kg-1 CP, 497 g kg-1 NDF), or cottonseed meal (506 g kg-1 CP, 352 g kg-1 NDF; CSM) upon intake of CBG hay (127 g kg-1 CP, 691 g kg-1 NDF) and apparent digestibility of dietary organic matter (OM), NDF, and true digestibility of CP. Six Boer-Spanish goats (46.22 +- 3.99 Kg) were fed CBG plus S. helvula, S. leiosperma, or CSM at 0.34 and 0.68% of BW in a 6*6 Latin square with 3*2 factorial arrangement of treatments. The CBG was fed ad libitum, and the legumes/CSM were fed in two equal daily feedings during a 7-d adjustment period and 7-d collection period in metabolism crates. Feces were collected every 24-h, and CBG, legumes/CSM, and fecal samples were analyzed for OM, NDF, and CP. There were no supplement type*amount interactions (P > 0.05). Supplement type did not affect OM digestibility (P = 0.21), but OM digestibility increased 6.4% (P = 0.05) at the 0.68% versus 0.34% level of supplementation with the legumes or CSM. Supplementation with CSM and S. leiosperma improved NDF digestibility 7% versus supplementation with S. helvula (P = 0.02); and as supplement amount increased NDF digestibility by 5.5% (P = 0.02). The diet supplemented with CSM had the greatest CP digestibility, and S. helvula CP was 6% less digestible than S. leiosperma (P = 0.02). As supplement amount increased, CP digestibility increased 7% (P = 0.01). Intake of DM, OM, and NDF of CBG was unaffected (P = 0.56) by supplementation with CSM, S. helvula, and S. leiosperma, but total diet NDF intake of diets supplemented with CSM and S. helvula was 10.5% less than diet supplemented with S. leiosperma (P = 0.01). Considering digestibility and intake, CSM and S. leiosperma were the best supplements fed in this experiment. Strophostyles leiosperma is recommended as use for diet supplementation for goats when CBG hay basal diet is fed.