Thesis (M.Sc. (Agriculture)) --University of Limpopo, 2006 / Two experiments were carried out to determine the effect of the level of Acacia nilotica leaf meal supplementation plus 23 g polyethylene glycol 4000 on diet intake, digestibility, and growth rate of indigenous Pedi goats fed ad libitum Buffalo grass, Buchloe dactyloides, hay. The first experiment lasted for 37 days, with the first 30 days being for adaptation and the last 7 days being for collection. Twenty yearling male Pedi goats weighing 22 ± 0.5 kg live weight were allocated to 4 treatments in a 2 x 2 Factorial arrangement in a Completely Randomised Design. Acacia nilotica leaf meal contained 120 g crude protein per kg DM, indicating its potential as a browse source for ruminants. It, also, contained high amounts of total phenolics (2.04 % DM) and low amounts of condensed tannins, both extracted (0.37 % DM) and unextracted (1.83 % DM). Increasing the level of Acacia nilotica leaf meal supplementation to 120 g increased (P<0.05) crude protein intake (38 g/kg DM) when compared to 80 g supplementation (34 g/kg DM). Supplementation with 23 g PEG 4000 increased (P<0.05) the crude protein intake where goats were supplemented with 120 g of A. nilotica leaf meal. However, PEG 4000 supplementation did not have an effect (P>0.05) on intake when goats were supplemented with 80 g of Acacia nilotica leaf meal. Supplementation with 120 g of Acacia nilotica leaf meal increased (P<0.05) diet digestibility of DM (0.57), OM (0.60) and CP (0.71) by the goats. Similarly, supplementation with 23 g PEG 4000 increased (P<0.05) DM (0.65), OM (0.66) and v CP digestibilities (0.76) where goats were supplemented with 120 g of A. nilotica leaf meal. Polyethylene glycol 4000 also increased (P<0.05) diet CP digestibility where goats were supplemented with 80 g of Acacia nilotica leaf meal. However, 23 g PEG 4000 did not have a significant (P>0.05) effect on diet digestibility of DM and OM where goats were supplemented with 80 g of Acacia nilotica leaf meal. In vivo NDF and ADF digestibility were not affected by the treatments. Level of Acacia nilotica leaf meal supplementation plus 23 g of PEG 4000 had a significant (P<0.05) effect on the daily live weight change of the goats. The effect was higher where goats were supplemented with 120 g of A. nilotica leaf meal when compared to 80 g supplementation. Blood urea concentrations were improved (P<0.05) by level of A. nilotica supplementation and PEG supplementation. It is concluded that PEG 4000 has the potential to improve the feeding value of Acacia nilotica leaf meal and can, therefore, be used in the feeding systems for ruminant animals. The second experiment determined the effect of A. nilotica leaf meal supplementation and PEG 4000 supplementation on in vitro diet digestibility. Level of Acacia nilotica leaf meal supplementation plus 23 g PEG supplementation improved (P<0.05) in vitro diet DM, OM and CP digestibilities where 120 g Acacia nilotica leaf meal was supplemented. Similarly, 23 g PEG 4000 supplementation also improved (P<0.05) in vitro diet CP digestibility where 80 g Acacia nilotica leaf meal was supplemented. However, level of A. nilotica supplementation plus PEG 4000 supplementation had no vi effect (P>0.05) on in vitro NDF and ADF digestibilities. In vivo diet DM, OM and CP digestibilities were positively and significantly (P<0.05) correlated with in vitro diet DM, OM and CP digestibilities. It is, therefore, concluded that in vitro diet DM, OM and CP digestibilities have good capacity to predict in vivo diet DM, OM and CP digestibilities. / National Research Foundation. Working Solutions International

Dissertation (MSc(Agriculture) / The main objective of the study was to analyze the economic viability and sustainability of the leasing system in the development of dairy goat’s keepers group in Ga-Mampa, Mafefe rural community. Mafefe is one of the rural communities where dairy goat keeping is given little or no care by the dairy goat keepers. Through an action research process implemented within the community by the Center for Rural Community Empowerment (CRCE/University of Limpopo: Turfloop Campus), community members became interested in developing dairy goat keeping, which was very dubious to the community members as it was their first time to hear about goats bred for milk production. In Limpopo Province, goats are the most common livestock among communal farmers and yet they do not make a significant contribution to the economy of the place, let alone improve income of the households who keep dairy goats. The purpose of the study, therefore, was to find ways to transform the current subsistence system of producing indigenous goats by households in Ga-Mampa Mafefe (Capricorn District (CD)) in the Limpopo Province of South Africa into a viable system of producing, processing and marketing both dairy goats and their byproducts through formal markets. The study attempts to find out as to how a commodity group manages capital through a leasing system to sustainably insure that its members can access a technical innovation: dairy goat keeping. This study also looks at how leasing contributes to the development of the dairy goat project, the community and the development of individual members of the project. The Net Present Value (NPV) and Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) criteria were used to evaluate the economic viability of the leasing system towards the development of dairy goats. The results indicate that the NPV in this study is greater than zero, therefore the project is considered to be economically viable and sustainable, and also the BCR is greater than one indicating that the project is still profitable and hence acceptable. According to the findings from the analytical techniques, production of dairy goats through the leasing system would be profitable to dairy goat keepers. vi A sensitivity analysis to changes in benefits and costs of inputs was conducted. This found the above project proposal to be viable, even when benefits are reduced by 20%. The project proposal was still viable when the cost of inputs was inflated by 20%. In both cases, the benefit cost ratio is greater than one. Also the combined effect of reducing the benefit by 20% and inflating cots by 20% would result in positive Net Present Value (NPV). Results from a survey carried out further show the possibility and viability of producing satisfactory levels of milk from dairy goats in Limpopo Province. / French Embassy, Centre for Rural Community Empowerment (CRCE)

This study was conducted to determine the effects of different levels of dietary tannin on the physiology of Boer goats. In particular, dietary intake, digestibility, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) histology and presence of bacteria along the GIT were measured. In addition the ability of goats to detoxify tannins by measuring liver and kidney mass; and urinary glucuronic acid concentration was investigated. Commercialized tannin was used because of wide variation of tannin levels, which can be affected by season, species, and part of the plant. Thirty adult, male goats were fed one of five diet treatments of different tannin levels (0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%) for 6 weeks following which they were kept in metabolic crates for data collection for a further 10 days. Dietary intake of feed decreased significantly as tannin levels increased between the diets. Digestibility of dry matter (DM) tended to decrease with increasing tannin levels. However, digestibility of crude proteins (CP), organic matter, neutral detergent fibre and acid neutral detergent fibre decreased Significantly with increasing tannin levels. Faecal CP increased while urinary CP decreased with increasing tannin levels. There was no tannin present in the faeces. It appears that goats cope with low levels of tannin ingestion. There appears to be a threshold above which greater tannin ingestion has detrimental effects. The linear decreased dietary intake with increased tannin level may indicate that goats limit their intake of tannin below some threshold as a defence strategy. Differences in the histopathology of the oesophagus, reticulum, rumen, abomasum and duodenum were evaluated. Animals on the control diet had more protozoa present in the GIT than the other diets. Number and types of bacteria observed in the reticulum and rumen increased with tannin level in the diet. These may be responsible for tannin-protein complex degradation. Few bacteria were observed in the abomasum. There was a loss of epithelial cells and erosion of microvilli in duodenum with increased tannin levels, which would impair absorption of nutrients. The width of the keratinized GIT epithelial layer increased and villi height decreased as tannin levels increased which could further reduce nutrient absorption. Goats in the present study did not show detoxification abilities because the liver and kidney masses, and urinary glucuronic acid concentration did not increase with increased dietary tannin levels In summary, condensed tannins as large compounds appear to be metabolized and absorbed from the GIT. However, it is not clear if they are detoxified at the epithelial mucosa interface. The main detrimental effect of tannin on goats appears to be the reduction of feed intake and increased faecal CP. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Thesis (PhD (Agricultural Economics))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / PhD / unrestricted

The objective of the study was to determine the antioxidant activity (AA) and the quality of meat from goats and chickens supplemented with Moringa (Moringa oleifera) leaves. For the first experimental chapter, eighteen 9 months old Xhosa lop-eared, castrated goats with an average body weight of 14 kg were used. There were three supplements namely, Moringa oleifera leaves, sunflower cake and grass hay. There were six goats per supplement. The goats were slaughtered after 60 days of supplementation and the Muscularis longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) of the right side of each goat was used to determine fatty acid composition, total phenolic content (TPC), diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, 2, 2 azino-bis (3- ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic diammonium salt (ABTS) assay and reducing power assay of meat. Glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS) were taken as parameters to evaluate in vivo AA of the meat. For the second experiment, twelve male broilers were used in four groups of dietary supplementation. Three broilers were allocated per group. After slaughter, the breast muscle was sampled for total phenols, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, TPC, ABTS, GSH, CAT, SOD, lipid peroxidation, ultimate pH (pH24), colour (L* (lightness), a* (redness), b* (yellowness)), WB-shear force and cooking loss. In both chapters Moringa leaves exhibited the highest AA. Meat from goats supplement with Moringa exhibited the highest AA. Meat from broilers supplemented with a mixture of Moringa leaves, broiler finisher and crushed maize, had the highest (P < 0.05) pH24 and L* values. Moringa can therefore be used to preserve meat without changing the quality of meat.

The study was conducted at the University of Fort Hare farm to assess the effect of dietary supplementation on physico-chemical and consumer sensory characteristics of chevon from South African indigenous goat genotypes. Forty-eight 6-month-old Xhosa lop-eared (XLE), Nguni (NGN), Xhosa-Boer cross (XBC) and Boer (BOR) castrated goats with a body weight range from 20 to 25 kg were used in this study. Half of the goats in each genotype were supplemented with 200g/head/day of sunflower cake. The other half of goats in each genotype was not supplemented. The goats were slaughtered at day 90 to determine slaughter weight (SLW), cold dress mass (CDM), meat colour, cooking loss, meat pH and Warner-Bratzler (WB) shear force values. Furthermore, a consumer sensory evaluation of cooked or fried chevon from supplemented and non-supplemented goats was conducted with consumers of different ages, tribes and gender. The XLE and NGN goats had higher pH24 (P < 0.05) than BOR and XBC goats. Supplemented BOR goats had higher L* values than their non-supplemented counterparts (P < 0.05). The other meat quality attributes in XLE and NGN were comparable to those in meat from the Boer goat. Female respondents gave higher (P < 0.05) sensory scores than male respondents for both cooked and fried meat on aroma intensity. Shona consumers gave higher (P < 0.05) aroma intensity scores than the Xhosa and the Zulu consumers for both cooked and fried meat. In the non-supplemented goats, fried meat for all genotypes was superior (P < 0.05) to the cooked meat for initial impression of juiciness. Age and gender of respondents and thermal iv treatment influenced initial impression of juiciness scores (P < 0.05). The quality of chevon from XLE and NGN was comparable to that of the Boer goat, and dietary supplementation improved most meat quality attributes. Chevon from the supplemented goats had higher consumer sensory scores than chevon from the non-supplemented goats. Keywords: supplementation, meat colour, ultimate pH, consumer sensory evaluation, Xhosa lop eared, Nguni, Boer goats.

Feeding behaviour of Xhosa lop-eared, Nguni and Nguni × Boer goat genotypes kept on rangelands of the False Thornveld By Archibold Garikayi Bakare The study was conducted at the University of Fort Hare farm to assess the feeding behaviour of three goat genotypes: Xhosa lop-eared (XLE), Nguni (NGN) and Nguni × Boer crossbred (NBC) genotypes. The time spent on different activities (grazing, browsing and other activities) on rangelands was recorded using stop watches. The micro-histological faecal analysis technique was used to identify and quantify the plant species that were consumed by the goats across the four seasons. Time spent browsing was high in post-rainy season for XLE (55.94 %) compared to NGN (52.97 %) and crossbred NBC (45.95 %) goats. The high browsing activity was also noted for XLE in hot-wet and cool-dry season (P < 0.05). The NBC goats on the other hand; devoted most of their time grazing compared to XLE and NGN goats across seasons (P < 0.05). Generally, time of day had no effect (P > 0.05) on foraging activities among the goat breeds. Grewia occidentalis, Panicum maximum and Diospyros lycioides were the most preferred plant species by all genotypes across seasons in the paddock. It was concluded that crossbreds spent more time grazing as compared to XLE, which are more of browsers. It could, therefore, be recommended that XLE complement with grazers (cattle and sheep) for efficient management of feed resources in rangelands.

MSCAGR (Animal Science) / Department of Animal Science

This study was carried out to determine alternative approaches used by resource-limited farmers to enhance fertility and in the treatment of reproduction ailments of goats in Mount Frere area, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Furthermore, information on farmer perceptions pertaining to these practices was also gathered. A questionnaire survey was conducted to determine materials used by resource-limited farmers to enhance fertility and treat reproductive ailments. The survey revealed 10 plant species that were commonly used for reproductive health in goats. Elephantorrhizza elephantina (37.1%) and Rhoicissus tomentosa (25.7%) were the most frequently cited plant species. Elephantorrhiza elephantina and R. tomentosa recorded the highest Fidelity Level (FL) values of 92.86% and 75% respectively, for their use in the treatment of reproductive ailments and these were the plants on which further studies were conducted. The study also revealed that farmers had different perceptions on the effectiveness of the traditional medicines. An in-vivo assessment was done to determine efficacy of E. elephantina and R. tomentosa using serum estradiol and progesterone profiles. The highest (P<0.05) serum estradiol and progesterone concentration was observed in animals administered with aqueous extracts of E. elephantina and R. tomentosa mixture while the least (P<0.05) concentrations were observed in the negative control group. Does administered with a mixture of aqueous E. elephantina and R. tomentosa extract had the highest (P<0.05) body weight (65 kg) as well as body condition scores, while the negative control which were administered with distilled water had the least body weights (54 kg) and body condition scores. Does that were administered with a mixture of E.elephantina and R. tomentosa were all pregnant with twins (100%), confirmed by a doppler ultrasound scan.

MSCAGR / Department of Animal Science