Assessment of reproductive performance and abortion occurrence of boer goats as influenced by farm systems and feeding practices

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of farm systems (intensive and semi-intensive) and feeding practices on reproductive performance (kidding rate and abortion occurrence) of female Boer goats in Peninsular Malaysia. By using a survey-purposive sampling approach, a total of 212 goat farms were surveyed and 123 farms rearing Boer goats either in intensive or semi-intensive farm system with at least of a year of operation were included in the analysis. Data on feeding practices were also gathered. In both farm systems, majority of the goat producers fed their goats twice a day and about half of them (48.6%) provided feed supplement to the pregnant goat. This feeding practice was mentioned as a method to improve the kidding rate. However, no significant different was found between the two farm systems in kidding rate (P>0.05: intensive 1.19 ± 0.09; semi-intensive 1.10 ± 0.07). In addition, the abortion incidence was rare, particularly in early and late pregnancy in intensive and semi-intensive farm systems (p>0.05; X 2 = 7.57 and 2.21, respectively). In conclusion, the rearing Boer female goats either in intensive or semi-intensive farm systems does not affect their kidding rate and abortion frequency