The effects of omega-3 fatty acid used maternal rations during pregnancy on the fattening performances of male kids

Abstract

Abstract In this study, fish oil was used as an omega-3 fatty acids source in pregnant goat’s rations in the different periods of pregnancy on mature male offsprings performance. Forty-seven male goat kids (84.6 ± 2.44 days or days old; 14.5 ± 3.09 kg body weight) were housed in individual pens and to evaluate live weight, feed consumption, serum biochemical parameters, carcass performance and meat quality characteristics for 56 days. Supplementation of fish oil to Anaç goats dam ration during the gestation periods decreased the fattening live weight and increased feed consumption (p=0.09), while body weight and feed conversion rates were not affected by experimental treatments (p=0.62, p=0.90). Fish oil increased serum AST, glucose, total protein, and globulin concentrations (p=0.02, p=0.01, p=0.03, p=0.02), while decreased heptadecanoic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and total mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations in M. longissimus dorsi muscle (p=0.09, p=0.03, p=0.10, p=0.02, p=0.02, p=0.09). As a result, it has been thought that the use of liquid fish oil as an omega-3 source in goat’s ration during gestation may negatively affect the fetal development of male kids, but it has the ability to eliminate this negativity by improving post-weaning performance.