Abstract

This study was carried out at the Teaching and Research farm of Federal University of Technology; Yola, Nigeria, to evaluate the growth performance of kids which include birth weights growth rate, incidence of twinning, mortality rate and feed intake of Red Sokoto does. Four treatments of five does each were used. The animals in all treatment groups were allowed to graze on natural pasture after which supplemental feeds are given. Treatment one was used as a control group, treatment two was supplemented with maize bran, treatment three with cotton seed cake and four with groundnut hay. The result shows that the heaviest birth weight was recorded in treatment one (2.07kg) and the lowest birth weight was recorded in treatment three (1.25kg) at parturition. Significant different (p>0.05) exist between treatment one and the other three in respect of birth weight. For growth rate, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) between all the treatment groups. Daily supplementary feed intake which ranged between 361.l0g and 399.50g did not show any significant difference (p>0.05) between all the treatment groups. The highest was recorded in treatment four (399.80g) and the lowest in treatment two (361.l0g). Incidence of twinning was recorded twice in treatment two and three respectively. Mortality was recorded once in treatment one and three in treatment two. Animals supplemented with maize bran and cotton seed cake gave the best performance in productivity.