Nutritional Effects of Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) Pulp-seed Meal on the Reproductive Index of Red Sokoto Goats

ABSTRACT

Oestrus was artificially synchronized in thirty-six (36) primiparous Red Sokoto goats (RSG) done using 45 mg fluorogestone acetate vagina sponges for fourteen (14) days. Pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) hormone was administered immediately after sponge removal and the does were mated thereafter. Twenty four (24) gravid weighing 15.8 kg – 23.7 kg were selected and fed graded levels of baobab (Adansonia digitata. L) pulp-seed meal supplement in a completely randomized experimental design of six (6) replicates per treatment. There were significant differences (P<0.05) in the results obtained. At parturition, animals on 20% baobab fruit inclusion level had the highest mean weight value of 28.8 kg and the does on 0% inclusion level recorded the least value of 20.5 kg. At pregnancy, animals on 30% baobab inclusion level had the highest weight gain value of 5.9 kg, followed by 10% inclusion level with a weight gain of 5.5 kg. 20% inclusion level had 5.1 kg weight gain and the least value of 4.7 kg was recorded for animals on 0% baobab fruit inclusion. Similarly, the weight of dam at weaning ranged from 17.1kg to 24.8 kg. The Birth weight of kids were 1.7, 2.2, 2.1 and 2.0 kg for 0, 10, 20 and 30% levels of baobab fruits inclusion respectively. The sex ratio of male female recorded in the study were significantly different (P<0.05). 0, 10, 20 and 30% baobab fruit inclusion recorded 3367 (2 males, 4 females), 5050 (3 Males, 3 Females), 8317 (5 Males, 1 Female) and 6733 (4 Males, 2 Females) respectively. The kid weight at weaning and daily weight gain of the kids was significantly different (P<0.05) at all levels of baobab fruit inclusion. The percentages of kid mortality at birth and at weaning were zero in this study.