Effect of breed and management practices on reproductive and milking performance of rangeland goats

The traditional goat production systems on arid and semi-arid rangelands of northern Mexico are characterized by minimum external inputs; therefore, little is known about goat response to technological improvements. This observational study aimed to ascertain the effect of using improved goat production technologies and breed on milk yield and reproductive performance of goats on rangeland. The study was conducted from January 2017 to June 2018. Thirty-seven goat herds comprising 6393 animals were used. Goats supplemented with 250 g of concentrate (S-goats; 14% crude protein) 30 days before breeding produced significantly more daily milk yield (218 ± 61 vs. 200 ± 60 g) than the unsupplemented (UNS-goats) goats. Milk production per lactation was 12 percentage points greater in goats with access to plain salt throughout the year than those without salt access. The absence of deworming significantly depressed daily milk yield (189 ± 55 vs. 221 ± 61 for non-treated and treated goats). In 5 months, the lowest total milk yield was for Boer goats (26.9 ± 8.3 kg) and the highest for Nubian goats (36.1 ± 9.2 kg). The kidding rate was significantly higher in the S-goats than in the UNS-goats group (66.9 vs. 62.8%). Salt-supplemented goats had a significantly greater kidding rate than goats not receiving salt (68.5 vs. 61.2%). The lowest kidding rate was for Saanen goats and the highest for Nubian goats (66.2%). These findings indicate that milk yield and reproductive performance were primarily influenced by supplementing grazing goats with concentrates and salt in this semi-arid rangeland.