Research Strategy in Nutrition and Feeding Systems for Meat Goat Production

The capability of ruminant animals, including goats to transform the non-food materials into high quality animal proteins for human consumption through a complex digestive and metabolic system put these animals into a unique position in the food- chain system. However, this comparative advantage is not without cost, since when compared to mono-gastric animals, the ruminant is less efficient in producing every unit of protein or energy from each unit of feed they consumed. Therefore, research programme or technology that aims to improve the efficiency of utilization of the various non-food materials by goats should be the priority. Basically, the research programmes in goat feeding and nutrition should be oriented into the real needs of the potential beneficiaries or users. In accordance to this, it is a pre-requisite to identify and to understand the structure and the characteristics of goat production systems that existed. Most of goat production system in Indonesia is typically small scale operation (92%), which operates in a low input system. It is common that under this type of production system, the flow products such as manure or/and kids  are the main goals. Consequently, the stability of feed supply throught the year to at least maintain the existing population become more important than the quality of feeds that fulfill the standard requirement for nutrients. The research programme for this group of goat production should be oriented to (1) developing production system that guarantees the supply  of  feed  throught  the  year;  (2)  maximizing the  potential  benefit  of  the  “compensatory growth”  phenomenon; (3) minimising the effects of anti nutritional factors contained in various forages. Under the commercial production type that operates in a high input system, the final products such as meat is the main goal. Under this production system the rate of productivity of (growth rate, reproduction rate, feed conversion) of individual animas become very important. The research program for this commercial operation should be oriented into (1) developing of various formulae based on non-conventional feeds; (2) optimising rumen function to support maximum fermentative digestion; (3) optimising the protein/energy ratio in the rumen; (4) stimulating the production of glucogenic volatile fatty acid production in the rumen; (5) manipulating the microbial population in the rumen (defaunation); and (6) stimulating the development and colonization of microbial for fiber fermentation.   Key words: Goats, feeding syste

Potential of Animal Production Integrated to The Palm Oil Estate as an Agribusiness Base on Ruminant

Palm oil estates is very large in Indonesia, predominantly in North Sumatera, Riau and South Sumatera provinces. The production of by-products such as palm oil leaf (POL); palm oil fronds (POF); solid ex decanter  (SED) and palm kernel cake (PKC) are 17,1 tons; 486 tons; 840−1260 kgs; 567 kgs in dried form per-hectar per-year respectively. A number of research showed that the utilization of these by-products are potential as energy and protein source for cattle and sheep and can reduce 20-40% of feeding cost compared to conventional concentrate diet. According to 70−80% of total production cost are feed cost, there fore using these by-products give an agreat opportunity to integrate the animal production with palm estate as an agribisnis scale. The plantation area that have an oil palm industry is the main opportunity for establishing the integration production system. The feed industry can be run efficiently, because by-products can be supplied by oil industry directly.  Key words: Integration, palm oil, livestock, by-product

Performances of the first and second generation composite breed resulting from crossing between local Sumatra sheep and hair sheep.

Improving sheep productivity can be conducted by genetic improvement and improving environmental factors. Genetic improvement usually can be done by selection and creating composite or synthetic breed by crossbreeding. Composite breed created by crossbreeding between different breeds and followed by selection. The study of crossing between Sumatra sheep with fat-tail sheep from East Java, St . Croix hair sheep (US) and Barbados Blackbelly hair sheep has been carried out since 1986, and show that the crossbred are better in term of production and reproduction . In 1996/1997, the first generation (F1) of composite breed (KOM) has been created by crossing between Barbados Cross (BC) rams and St . Croix Cross (HC) ewes or reciprocally. The second generation (F2) of composite breed has been created by inter-se mating . However, F1-KOM and F2-KOM  vary in their performances, therefore selection should be conducted. The results showed that birth weight and weaning weight of crossing between BC rams and HC ewes tended to be heavier than those of reciprocal crossing between HC rams and BC ewes, but the differences were not significant (P0 .05) . Birth weight and weaning weight of crossing between BC rams with HC ewes and reciprocal cross were 2.48 _+ 0.70 kg (n=791), 12 .50 _+ 3 .26 kg (n=640) and 2.37 _+ 0.62 kg (n=147), 12 .29 _+ 3.30kg (n=122), respectively . Meanwhile, observations of inter-se mating of Fl-KOM showed that the weight at the first mating was 26 .7 _+ 3.82 kg (n=80), age of dam at the first lambing was 15 .7 _+ 1 .73 months (n=83), weight at post-partum was 29 .86 _+ 3 .30 kg, and litter size at the first parity was 1 .43 _+ 0.59 (n=83) . The mean of age at the first mating of KOM was around 10 .7 months. Mean of mating weight at the second parity was 28 .29 +_ 3 .51 kg (n=11), age of dam at the  second lambing was 20.6 _+ 1 .99 month (n=11), post-partum weight was 26 .92 _+ 4.03 kg (n=11) and litter size was 1 .64 _+ 0.81 (n=11) . Weaning weight of Fl-KOM, F2-KOM, BC, HC and St. Croix (H) after adjusted by season, sex, age of dam and type of birth were significantly different among Fl-KOM with F2-KOM, BC, HC, and H. However, there were no significantly different among F2-KOM with BC and HC. The results of the study indicated that for improving selection respons, the corrections or adjustments of environmentally induced superiority (sex, type of birth and age of dam at lambing) for every genotype and certain generation should be conducted, in order to increase the rate of genetic improvement.   Key words : Composite breed, first generation, second generatio

Performances of the first and second generation composite breed resulting from crossing between local Sumatra sheep and hair sheep.

Improving sheep productivity can be conducted by genetic improvement and improving environmental factors. Genetic improvement usually can be done by selection and creating composite or synthetic breed by crossbreeding. Composite breed created by crossbreeding between different breeds and followed by selection. The study of crossing between Sumatra sheep with fat-tail sheep from East Java, St . Croix hair sheep (US) and Barbados Blackbelly hair sheep has been carried out since 1986, and show that the crossbred are better in term of production and reproduction . In 1996/1997, the first generation (F1) of composite breed (KOM) has been created by crossing between Barbados Cross (BC) rams and St . Croix Cross (HC) ewes or reciprocally. The second generation (F2) of composite breed has been created by inter-se mating . However, F1-KOM and F2-KOM vary in their performances, therefore selection should be conducted. The results showed that birth weight and weaning weight of crossing between BC rams and HC ewes tended to be heavier than those of reciprocal crossing between HC rams and BC ewes, but the differences were not significant (P>0 .05) . Birth weight and weaning weight of crossing between BC rams with HC ewes and reciprocal cross were 2.48 _+ 0.70 kg (n=791), 12 .50 _+ 3 .26 kg (n=640) and 2.37 _+ 0.62 kg (n=147), 12 .29 _+ 3.30kg (n=122), respectively . Meanwhile, observations of inter-se mating of Fl-KOM showed that the weight at the first mating was 26 .7 _+ 3.82 kg (n=80), age of dam at the first lambing was 15 .7 _+ 1 .73 months (n=83), weight at post-partum was 29 .86 _+ 3 .30 kg, and litter size at the first parity was 1 .43 _+ 0.59 (n=83) . The mean of age at the first mating of KOM was around 10 .7 months. Mean of mating weight at the second parity was 28 .29 +_ 3 .51 kg (n=11), age of dam at the second lambing was 20.6 _+ 1 .99 month (n=11), post-partum weight was 26 .92 _+ 4.03 kg (n=11) and litter size was 1 .64 _+ 0.81 (n=11) . Weaning weight of Fl-KOM, F2-KOM, BC, HC and St. Croix (H) after adjusted by season, sex, age of dam and type of birth were significantly different among Fl-KOM with F2-KOM, BC, HC, and H. However, there were no significantly different among F2-KOM with BC and HC. The results of the study indicated that for improving selection respons, the corrections or adjustments of environmentally induced superiority (sex, type of birth and age of dam at lambing) for every genotype and certain generation should be conducted, in order to increase the rate of genetic improvement