Effect of Supplementary Feeding on Reproductive Performance of Red Sokoto Goats in Sokoto State

This study examines the effect of supplementary feeding on the reproductive performance of Red Sokoto goats in Sokoto State, North West Nigeria. The Red Sokoto goat is an economically important breed in North West Nigeria, valued for its high-quality leather and meat production. However, inadequate nutritional status during dry season, when natural pasture quality declines significantly, leads to poor reproductive outcomes including extended postpartum anoestrus, reduced kidding rates, and low birth weights. This study randomly assigns 60 Red Sokoto does of similar age and body condition into two groups: a supplemented group receiving 400 grams per day of a concentrate supplement containing groundnut cake, millet offal, and mineral salts during the 60-day pre-mating and early gestation period, and an unsupplemented control group dependent on natural rangeland grazing. Conception rate, kidding rate, litter size, birth weight, preweaning kid mortality, and weaning weight at 90 days are measured. Findings reveal that supplemented does show a conception rate of 94 percent compared to 74 percent in the control group. Kidding rate, birth weight (3.1 versus 2.4 kilograms), and weaning weight are all significantly superior in supplemented does. Preweaning mortality is 12 percent in supplemented versus 28 percent in control kids. The study concludes that dry season supplementary feeding significantly improves reproductive performance of Red Sokoto goats. It recommends 400 grams per day of supplementary concentrate during the pre-mating and early gestation period as a standard management recommendation for Sokoto State goat producers.

Keywords: supplementary feeding, Red Sokoto goat, reproductive performance, dry season, Sokoto State.