Supplementation of the diets with hydroponic maize fodder affects digestibility, puberty, sexual behavior, and semen characteristics in buck kids
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Date
2021
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Abstract
Hydroponics is one of the widely adopted technologies for fodder production in arid and semi-arid regions. In addition to the
benefits such as shorter growth period and minimal water and land use, it also produces nutritious fodder that contains essential
nutrients required for the growth and reproduction of livestock. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding
hydroponic maize fodder on the reproductive performance of buck kids. Twenty-four Tellicherry buck kids aged around 3
months were randomly selected and allocated into three treatment groups, namely, control, treatment 1 (T1), and treatment 2
(T2). Experimental diets were formulated by replacing the concentrate with hydroponic maize fodder at 0% (control), 25% (T1),
and 50%(T2) level. The buck kids supplemented with hydroponic maize fodder attained puberty earlier (T1, 246.50 ± 2.61 days;
T2, 241.00 ± 2.06 days) (P < 0.05); had higher (P < 0.05) scrotal circumference, testicular volume, and fresh semen characteristics;
and exhibited intense sexual behaviors than the non-supplemented kids. Furthermore, hydroponic maize fodder supplementation
improved the digestibility of dry matter (DM) (P < 0.01), organic matter (OM) (P < 0.01), crude fiber (CF) (P < 0.05),
ether extract (EE) (P < 0.01), and nitrogen-free extract (NFE) (P < 0.01) in the kids. In conclusion, hydroponic maize fodder
feeding did not have any negative impact on the reproductive performance of kids. Furthermore, the hydroponic maize fodder
supplementation enhanced the kids’ nutrient digestibility and reproductive performance.
Description
TNV_TAHP_2021_53(310)
Keywords
Veterinary Science