Lot-fed goats — the advantages of using an enriched environment
Article
Article Title | Lot-fed goats — the advantages of using an enriched environment |
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ERA Journal ID | 5178 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Flint, Mark (Author) and Murray, Peter (Author) |
Journal Title | Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture |
Animal Production Science | |
Journal Citation | 41 (4), pp. 473-476 |
Number of Pages | 4 |
Year | 2001 |
Publisher | CSIRO Publishing |
Place of Publication | Australia |
ISSN | 0816-1089 |
1836-0939 | |
1836-5787 | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1071/EA99119 |
Web Address (URL) | https://www.publish.csiro.au/an/EA99119 |
Abstract | By reducing the stress associated with high stocking density in a feedlot it is likely that goats will utilise their feed more efficiently and suffer fewer health problems. One possible method of reducing stress is to enrich the feedlot environment. In a feedlot of 160 castrated goats (average weight 24.6 ± 2.6 kg), 2 types of feedlot structures were compared; a typical feedlot and an ‘environmentally enriched’ feedlot, and goats stocked at 2 densities; a high stocking density (1667 goats/ha) and a relatively low stocking density (897 goats/ha). Over a 42-day period, environmental enrichment (old car/truck tyres and wooden railway sleepers to climb on and PVC piping to mouth and butt) increased weight gain by 83% (P = 0.04) and reduced the occurrence of inanition by 36%. Aggressive behaviour at the feed trough was reduced by 30% (P = 0.03) in pens of lower density when compared with pens of higher density. We conclude that lot feeding goats in environmentally enriched surroundings will increase feed conversion and reduce the number of non-eaters when compared with typically bare pen structures. Doubling in liveweight gain of goats within enriched feedlot surroundings when compared with typical structures shows promise as a cost effective, animal-welfare-orientated practice. |
Keywords | feedlot, enrichment, behaviour, liveweight gain, goat |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 300301. Animal growth and development |
300307. Environmental studies in animal production | |
300306. Animal welfare | |
Public Notes | Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions. |
Byline Affiliations | University of Queensland |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q63q5/lot-fed-goats-the-advantages-of-using-an-enriched-environment
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