Authors : M. Mellado, J.R. Arevalo, A. De Santiago, E.A. Lozano and A. Rodriguez
Abstract: An experiment was conducted to examine how Trenbolone Acetate (TBA, 33 mg)/estradiol-17β (E2, 5 mg) implant affect diet selection of pluriparous mixed-breed goats (n = 10 per treatment) grazing in a highly degraded microphyll desert scrub of northern Mexico. Diets of goats were examined using microhistological fecal analysis during the peack growth of forages (August-October). TBA-E2 caused a 48% increase (p<0.01) in daily weight gain of goats. Woody plants were the main component of goat diet with no differences between implanted and nonimplanted goats (64±7 vs. 65±8% across months of study). Differences between diets of implanted and nonimplanted goats were mainly an increase (p<0.01) in Acacia farnesiana, Agave lechuguilla and Larrea tridentata. Also, the implanted goats used more (p<0.01) forbs than nonimplanted goats. Results indicated higher proportions of both highly palatable and unpalatable forages in the diet of the TBA-E2 implanted goats compared with control goats which suggests that the administration of these anabolic compounds for an extended period of time modifies food selection of goats in this xeric landscape.
M. Mellado, J.R. Arevalo, A. De Santiago, E.A. Lozano and A. Rodriguez, 2011. Diet Botanical Composition of Goats on Rangeland Treated with Trenbolone Acetate. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 10: 235-240.