Effect of soybean meal supplementation on pre-and post-partum productivity of Angora goats in communal rangelands of Molimo-Nthuse in Lesotho

Twenty four Angora goat does were used in a study aimed at determining the effect of pre- and post-partum soybean meal supplementation on productivity of the doe and on kid birth weight, growth rate and mortality in the communal rangelands of Molimo-Nthuse area of Lesotho. A randomised block design with three treatments and eight replicates was used to test treatment effects from one month before kidding up to two months after kidding. The three treatments were grazing natural pastures only (S1), daily 50-g soybean meal supplementation per doe plus grazing natural pastures (S2), and daily 100-g soybean meal supplementation per doe plus grazing natural pastures (S3). Kid birth weights of 2.15, 2.32, and 2.89 kg for S1, S2 and S3, respectively, were obtained. Kid birth weights from does on S3 were higher (P<0.05) than those from does on S2 and S1. Total milk yields over the first two months of lactation were 17.92, 23.17, and 29.65 kg per doe for animals on S1, S2, and S3, respectively. Does on S3 produced more milk (P<0.05) than those on S1 and S2. Does on S3 produced milk higher (P<0.05) in lactose than milk from does on S1 and S2. Kids from does on S1, S2, and S3 grew at 75.96, 83.33, and 98.23 g per day, respectively. Supplementation increased (p<.0.05) kid growth rates. Kid growth rate was positively correlated (r = 0.69; P<0.05) with birth weight. However, kid growth rate was poorly correlated (r = 0.0485; P>0.05) with milk yield. A daily 100 g soybean meal supplementation of does reduced kid mortality from 37.5 % (S1 and S2) to 12.5 %. This study demonstrated that minimal full fat soybean meal supplementation can offset the detrimental effects of both maternal and offspring undernutrition during the critical stages of the reproductive cycle of Angora goats in communal rangelands.