Evaluation of a milk replacer made with sunflower seed and soybean meal in artificial raising kids

Abstract

The maintenance and development of the kidgoats for milk production on many farms are done through artificial rear ing goats by early separation of mother and baby to prevent mother-child bond, and thus, the kid goat develops the ability to feed itself. The aim of this study was to evaluate a nutri tious milk replacer, physically similar to goat milk in a kid artificial rearing system. Saanen kids were fed during seven weeks with: a) a milk substitute formulated with sunflower seed and soybean meal (SSMS), b) commercial milk substi tute (CMS), and c) goat milk (GM). The evaluated variables were: daily weight gain (DWG), feed intake liquid (FIL), con sumption of solid food (CSF) and feed conversion (FC). The substitute was prepared with soybean meal, sunflower seeds, soy lecithin, and milk powder. Kids were weighed at baseline and every week to calculate DWG, the FIL and CSF was re corded daily. In the third week pelleted food (Súpercría®) was offered to kid goats. Birth weight was used as a covariate to evaluate DWG. A completely randomized design with five replicationswas used. There was a higher consumption of GM, followed by the CMS, the SSMS consumption was lower (p<0.0001). The DWG were higher with the GM, followed by the CMS and the lowest (p=0.003) to the SSS. There was no difference in FC between treatments (p=0.15). Breastfeeding does not compare with the useof GM replacers; however, the milk replacer formulated with vegetable protein is an option for raising kids.