Productivity of Australian cashmere goats grazing Pangola grass pastures and supplemented with untreated and formaldehyde treated protein meals

Abstract

The liveweight change and fleece growth Of Australian cashmere goats were studied in a 14 week grazing experiment (Mar.-June) in south-eastern Queensland. Weaner goats grazed nitro-fertilised Pangola grass (Digitavia decumbens Stent.) pastures and were supplemented every second day with a range of protein meals (60 g crude protein/goat.day), i.itht.1. untreated or fomialdehyde treated. Following high growth rates (> 90 g 1iveweight.day) by all kids early in the experiment, control animals experienced severe weight loss (-40 g/day). Goats given protein supplements performed significantly (P<0.05) better, though they only maintained weight. There were no differences (P> 0.05) in liveweight change between the untreated and formaldehyde treated protein groups. The poor growth of goats in this study was associated with declining feed availability under the high stocking rates used (80 goats/ha) and possibly with a seasonal depression in appetite. Total fleece growth was significantly (P<0.05) increased by protein supplementation, except for sunflower meal. However, cashmere growth (mean ¦ s.e., 16.3 ¦ 2.1 g) was largely unaffected by supplementation, with greater hair growth (64 v. 54 g) being responsible for the improved fleece weight in those goats receiving protein supplements. Kids supplemented with formaldehyde treated protein tended to grow more fleece than did kids given untreated protein meals but the differences were not significant.