103 Growth rates of Boer and Kiko crossbred wethers fed endophyte

103 Growth rates of Boer and Kiko crossbred wethers fed endophyte-infected tall fescue or orchardgrass. R. Browning, Jr.*, Y. G. Myles, M. Byars, S. H. Kebe, T. Payton, E. Lane, C. Johnson, D. A. Young, and D. Coleman, Tennessee State University, Nashville. This study was conducted to begin assessing how endophyte-infected tall fescue (TF) might affect meat goat performance. A majority of Tennessee goat producers indicated in a survey that tall fescue covers the improved pastures they use to graze goats


	(Leite-Browning et al., 2001; J. Anim. Sci. 80[Suppl. 2]:27). Three-quarter Boer (n = 22) and 3/4 Kiko (n = 15) yearling wethers were fed in drylot over three periods. During the pretrial period (January-March), all goats were provided orchardgrass (OG) hay for ad libitum consumption and were fed 455 g/d of a concentrate supplement. In Trial 1 (April-June), wethers within each breed were paired by weight and evenly divided into groups receiving TF seed and OG seed diets. Seed (227 g/d) was carried in 682 g/d of the concentrate supplement. Both groups were provided OG hay for ad libitum consumption. No breed x diet interaction was detected in Trial 1. Pretrial growth rates did not differ between TF and OG-fed goats (75 vs 78 ± 7 g/d). The TF seed diet lowered (P < 0.01) ADG by 32% over 8 weeks compared to the OG seed diet (102 vs 150 ± 7 g/d). For Trial 2 (June-August), half of the wethers within each breed were switched between TF and OG diets. Experimental diets in Trial 2 were in the form of TF or OG hay supplemented with 227 g/d of concentrate without TF or OG seed. Growth rates during Trial 1 did not differ between TF and OG-fed goats as grouped for Trial 2 (123 vs 128 ± 9 g/d). There was no breed x diet interaction detected in Trial 2. The TF hay diet lowered (P = 0.10) growth rates by 33% over 8 weeks compared to the OG hay diet (40 vs 60 ± 9 g/d). Across the three observation periods, percentage Kiko wethers had higher (P < 0.01) growth rates compared to percentage Boer wethers (214 vs 156 ± 10 g/d). This pilot study demonstrated the potential of endophyte-infected tall fescue to significantly lower the performance of meat goat wethers.