MAITHEM K. A. AL-GALIBY*, IHSAN A. AL-HASSNAWI AND MAZEN M. AL-HASSNAWI
Department of Animal Production, College of Agriculture and Marches, University of Thi-Qar, 64001, Iraq
*(e-mail: Maitham@utq.edu.iq; Mobile: 00964 78308 26899)
(Received: March 03, 2023; Accepted: April 9, 2023)
ABSTRACT
The study included 18 male of local goats at the age of three months with an average weight of 16.17±1.10
kg. The lambs were randomly distributed to six treatments with two levels of concentrated feed (40 and 60%) and three levels of probiotics (0, 2.5 and 5 g/head/day). The probiotics included Lactobacillus acidophilus 108, Bacillus subtilis 109, Bifidobacterium 108 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae 109. The results showed significant improvement in body weight (20.76, 24.72 and 26.26 kg) for the group fed only on 40% concentrate without probiotics, 40% concentrate plus 2.5 g probiotics and 60% concentrate plus 2.5 g probiotics, respectively; and daily weight gain (52.89, 96.89 and 107.33 g/day, respectively). The significant superiority was observed in the feed efficiency of the diets with 2.5 or 5 g head/day of probiotics (8.77,
4.97 and 4.05 kg feed/kg weight gain, respectively). There was also significant superiority in the digestibility coefficient of dry matter, organic, crude protein, acid detergent fiber and ether extract of probiotics nutrient groups. In conclusion, adding either 2.5 or 5 g probiotics/head/ day for kids ration enhanced overall performance of local goat kids.
Key words : Probiotics, local goat kids, levels, performance