Supplementary Feeding of Grazing Inner Mongolian Cashmere Goats during Pregnancy-Based on "Nutrient Requirements of Cashmere Goats"

Simple Summary In the fall and winter, nutrient supplies of forage cannot meet the needs of pregnant cashmere goats, and there lacks clear precise supplemental feeding for them under grazing. This study first applied "Nutrient Requirements of Cashmere Goats" to supplementary feeding for pregnant Inner Mongolian cashmere goats under grazing. Supplementation increased pregnant goat cashmere length, cashmere yield, body weight after shearing, single born kid weight, twin-birth kid weight and kids' mature secondary hair follicle density. The results demonstrated that the supplementary feeding based on the standard could enhance pregnant goats' production performance. This study aimed to conduct precise supplementation for pregnant cashmere goats under grazing based on the feeding standard. Eight Inner Mongolian pregnant cashmere goats of near-average body weight were selected at early gestation (44.41 +/- 4.03 kg) and late gestation (46.54 +/- 4.02 kg) to measure their nutrient intake. Then, two pregnant cashmere goat flocks, No. 10 (control group, on-farm supplement) and No. 11 (supplemented group, supplement based on standard), with the same goat herd structure and grassland type, were chosen to conduct the supplemental feeding experiment. The results showed that pregnant cashmere goats lacked daily the intake of dry matter, digestive energy, crude protein and most essential mineral elements under grazing. After supplemental feeding, the supplementation based on the feeding standard increased the cashmere length and cashmere length growth volume and decreased the cashmere fineness, with no statistical significance. The goat cashmere yield, goat weight after shearing, single and twin-birth kid weight and kids' mature secondary hair follicle density were significantly higher in the supplemented group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementation in accordance with "Nutrient Requirements of Cashmere Goats" can enhance pregnant cashmere goats' fiber production, growth performance, fertility and kids' secondary hair follicles development, which is of great importance for the healthy and precise nutrition and management of cashmere goats.