title: Enhancement of growth performance in pre-weaning suckling Boer kids supplemented with creep feed containing alfalfa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the effects of creep feed (CF) supplementation (with or without Alfalfa) on the pre-weaning growth performance of nursing goat kids.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of forty eight (48), 7 days old, single born kids (live weight 4.4±0.09 kg) were divided into three treatment groups, each containing eight males and eight females. All three groups had access to their dams' milk (DM). The kids from the first treatment group had free access to CF containing alfalfa (CFA) while those from the second group had free access to CF without alfalfa. The third treatment group (control) had access to their DM only. All three groups were kept isolated from the dams from 800 to 1200 h and from 1400 to 1800 h while having access to CF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total weight gain and average daily gain of kids from CFA group (11.2±0.36 kg, 145.2±4.64 g) was significantly higher (p<0.05) than kids from CF (7.9±0.49 kg, 102.9±6.43 g) and DM (5.5±0.43 kg, 71.1±5.56 g) groups. The weaning weight of kids from CFA group (15.6±0.39 kg) was significantly higher (p<0.05) than those from CF (12.1±0.56 kg) and DM (9.9±0.59 kg) groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This result shows that supplementation of CF combined with alfalfa from birth to weaning enhances growth performance of cross-bred Boer goat kids.
authors.affiliation: University Malaysia Kelantan, 16100 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Nay Nang
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Htoo
authors.affiliation: University Malaysia Kelantan, 16100 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Aung Tun
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Khaing
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abba
authors.affiliation: University Malaysia Kelantan, 16100 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Nwe Nwe
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Htin
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Jesse Faez Firdaus
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Abdullah
authors.affiliation: University Malaysia Kelantan, 16100 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Than
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kyaw
authors.affiliation: University Malaysia Kelantan, 16100 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mohd Azam Khan Goriman
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mohd Azmi Mohd
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lila
keywords: alfalfa; boer; creep feed; growth performance; pre-weaning