Australia’s largest goat research project – what we know so far

Published 2024년 12월 12일

Tridge summary

A five-year, $3.7 million project in Australia, known as Kids+, is making significant strides in enhancing the reproductive performance of does in the goat industry. Led by Professor Louw Hoffman from the University of Queensland, the project has already seen substantial results, highlighting the importance of management strategies such as a shorter joining season to improve fertility rates and herd efficiency. The research has also identified key infrastructure improvements to reduce stress and enhance welfare for both the goats and handlers. Over 15,430 individual goat records have been collected from various production systems, providing valuable insights into the industry's best practices. Despite some challenges like late gestation abortions and losses from predators, the project continues to gather crucial data to further optimize the goat industry.
Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Researchers leading the largest goat industry research project ever undertaken in Australia are a step closer to answering the question: what reproductive performance should I expect from my does? Interim findings from the five-year, $3.7 million Kids+ project show that, as expected, there are numerous management factors that influence the number of kids weaned. Louw Hoffman, Professor of Meat Science in the Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences within the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) at the University of Queensland, is leading the project. Professor Hoffman said that one of the main management strategies that seems to be delivering results is to shorten the joining season to six weeks. “This gives each doe the opportunity to cycle twice; any does that are then not pregnant are culled, thereby removing any sub-fertile does from the herd,” Professor Hoffman said. “Other reasons for culling include weak teats/udders, and age. A shorter joining ...
Source: Mla

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