POST-WEANING PERFORMANCE OF SOKOTO RED GOAT KIDS UNDER TRADITIONAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN SOKOTO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Growth rate performance and management practice of twenty eight (28) weaned Sokoto Red goat kids under the traditional management system were monitored for a period of 14weeks (May-August) inselected hamlets of Sokoto State. The management system practiced involved allowing the weaned kids to go out for grazing in the morning and return in the evening. Their source of supplementation is cereal bran and preserved hay which is offered only in the evening. All the experimental animals were weaned at the age of 3 months. The results of the study indicated that the average daily live weight gain of single (27.78 glday) and male (27.55 gI day) kids were significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of twins (24.59 g/day) and females (24.59 g/day) respectively. Higher nortality rate of3% was recorded from twin kids. These results indicate that single birth kids and male kids grew better than the twin and