Feed intake, performance and economics of malabari male kids under broiler goat production system

An experiment was carried out on 14 pre-weaned Malabari male kids of uniform age (one week) and body weight (2.26±0.04 kg) to assess the performance and economics of broiler goat production system from birth to 12 weeks of age at the Goat Farm, Instructional Livestock Farm Complex, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode, Wayanad (Kerala). The kids were randomly allocated to two treatments (T₁ and T₂). Kids of T₁ were allowed to suckle their does till 12 weeks along with green grass. In treatment II (T₂), kids were weaned at the age of seven days and reared intensively by providing formulated semi-solid broiler goat concentrate diet using a feeding bottle. The kids were not offered any roughage during the study period. Economics was worked out by comparing the expenditure incurred on total amount of concentrate consumed by growing kids up to 12 weeks from additional income obtained after slaughter. The average live weight produced was significantly (P<0.01) higher in T₂ (15.26±0.35 kg) than in T₁ (7.21±0.30 kg). The dressing yield was significantly higher (P< 0.01) in T₂ (48.24%) than T₁ (44.73%) which led to a chevon production of 7.30 and 3.22 kg, respectively. The respective output price @ Rs. 450/kg was Rs. 1449 and Rs. 3285 in T₁ and T_2, respectively. Thus the net profit was Rs. 643 in T₁and Rs. 1253.84 in T₂ yielding an input-output ratio of 1: 1.51 and 1: 1.76 in T₁ and T_2, respectively. Hence, this system canberecommended for chevon production with more profit.