Efficiency of goat milk utilisation by milk-fed kids

摘要

The energy balance for goat milk-fed kids was measured by the comparative slaughter method. The efficiency of utilisation of metabolisable energy (ME) for growth (45) was very much lower than that for lambs or calves. The maintenance energy requirement for the kids was 470 kJ/kg0.75per 24 h, similar to that for other young ruminants. Multiple regression analysis showed there was a high energy cost for fat synthesis.