Pre-pubertal growth performance and its inter-relationship with physiological responses of black Bengal goats in free range rearing system

Abstract

The growth performance of black Bengal male and female kids in relation to the physiological parameters during pre-pubertal growth period reared under free range system was assessed in 100 male and 100 female kids from day 15th to 180th day. All the growth parameters increased significantly from day 15 to 180 days with significantly higher growth in male. Among the physiological responses, only pulse rate differed significantly between age and sex with higher in male. The pulse rate was negatively correlated with body weight, height, heart girth and linear length whereas rectal temperature and respiration rate were positively correlated with heart girth only. In this study, some baseline data have been generated on physiological responses in black Bengal kids of either sex under free range system during different phases of pre-pubertal growth.