A STUDY ON THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF GOAT KIDS OF THE BULGARIAN WHITE DAIRY BREED UNTIL WEANING

Abstract

The growth abilities of goat kids from the Bulgarian White dairy (BWD) breed in the period up to the end of weaning (90 days) were studied. The study was conducted in the goat farm of the RIMSA - Troyan, Bulgaria, and a total of 44 clinically healthy goat kids of the BWD breed were examined. Some performance characteristics (birth weight, weaning weight, and average daily gain) as well as exterior measurements were measured. The average daily gain for the first, second, and third month for males is (0.154; 0.236; and 0.265 kg), and for females (0.150; 0.166; and 0.255 kg), respectively. At the age of 3 months, twins reliably outperformed singles and triplets in both weight and size, and their average daily gain for the period was 0.211 kg. At birth and weaning, males outperformed females in all exterior indicators. Live weight, growth intensity, and weight development of young animals are factors of primary importance for selection, as they are related to productivity indicators and influence milk yield, fattening capacity, and slaughtering indicators.