Abstract #71 American Society of Animal Science (Southern Section Meeting)

Orlando, Florida February 2006

Weight gain in meat goat does fed endophyte-infected and non-infected tall fescue.

R. Browning, Jr.*, P. Pandya, T. Payton, B. Donnelly, W. Hendrixson, M. Byars.

Tennessee State University - Agricultural Research Institute.

Yearling does were fed diets containing tall fescue seed to assess the effect of tall fescue endophyte (Neotyphodium coenophialum) infection on meat goat growth rates and feed intake. In 2004, crossbred does were fed orchardgrass hay for ad libitum consumption and 455 g/hd/d of concentrate for 8 wk  pretreatment. Afterwards, does (31.3 ± 1.1 kg BW) were fed endophyte-infected (EI) or fed endophyte-free (EF) tall fescue seed added to the diets at 227 g/hd/d for 10 wk. Each treatment diet was fed to 14 does across 3 pens. Diets were similar for TDN and CP content. Ergovaline content of the EI seed-supplemented concentrate was 430 ppb. Orts were weighed daily. Weight gain did notdiffer (P > 0.4) between EF and EI does pretreatment (91.5 ± 6.8 vs. 107.4 ± 5.9 g/d, respectively). Diet affected (P < 0.04) weight gain during the summer treatment period. Does on EF diet gained 61.5 ± 8.4 g/d whereas does on EI diet gained 31.0 ± 7.2 g/d. Orts were greater (P < 0.02) for EI pens than for EF pens (125.7 vs. 1.9 ± 2.3 g/hd/d, respectively). In 2005, straightbred Boer, Kiko, and Spanish does were fed orchardgrass hay for ad libitum consumption and 455 g/hd/d of concentrate for 10 wk pretreatment. Does (36.5 ± 1.0 kg BW) then received EI or EF tall fescue seed diets for 10 wk. Treatment diets included prairiegrass hay for ad libitum consumption, 568 g/hd/d of concentrate, and 227 g/hd/d of tall fescue seed. Each diet was fed to 18 does across three pens. Breeds were evenly distributed across pens. Diets were similar for TDN and CP content. Ergovaline content of the EI seed-supplemented concentrate was 983 ppb. Orts were weighed daily. Weight gain were similar (P > 0.7) for EF and EI does pretreatment (56.8 ± 5.6 vs. 62.4 ± 6.1 g/d, respectively). Diet affected (P < 0.01) weight gain during treatment. Does on EF diet gained 91.3 ± 10.0 g/d whereas does on EI diet gained 39.4 ± 11.0 g/d. Orts were greater (P = 0.01) for EI pens than for EF pens (77.5 vs. 1.3 ± 3.0 g/hd/d, respectively). These data suggest that endophyte infection in tall fescue can adversely affect meat goat performance.