Blackburn H D
Livestock Systems Research, College Station, TX 77843.
J Anim Sci. 1995 Jan;73(1):302-9. doi: 10.2527/1995.731302x.
Information quantifying performance of Boer goats in the United States is lacking. To overcome this knowledge void a simulation study was performed to determine how Boer goats would compare to Spanish goats in two locations, Texas and Oklahoma. Within each of these locations forage conditions were altered from high forage (HF), medium forage (MF), and low forage (LF). Forage conditions were altered within location to emulate the variation in forage conditions that could occur in each location. Management varied from fall breeding (FB) to year-round breeding (YRB). Across breed and forage conditions, YRB resulted in higher levels of performance than FB for births per doe, number of kids sold per doe, sale weight per doe, and biological efficiency (weight sold[kg]/dry matter consumed [kg]). Boers did produce more sale weight per doe than Spanish on HF. However, the Boer's advantage was decreased or negated when exposed to MF or LF conditions. Both breeds had similar levels of performance for number of kids sold per doe under HF conditions. Under MF or LF the Spanish goats had greater levels of kids sold per doe. Neither breed simulated had a consistent advantage in both locations and varying forage conditions, but, in general, as forage conditions worsened Boer performance ranked below that of the Spanish goats. These results indicate that a complete endorsement of the Boer cannot be made. Effective use of the Boer goat will depend on the forage resource base and producers' ability to provide inputs, such as supplementation, to the goat production system.
在美国，缺乏量化波尔山羊生产性能的信息。为了填补这一知识空白，进行了一项模拟研究，以确定在德克萨斯州和俄克拉荷马州这两个地点，波尔山羊与西班牙山羊相比会有怎样的表现。在每个地点，牧草条件分为高牧草量（HF）、中等牧草量（MF）和低牧草量（LF）。在每个地点内改变牧草条件，以模拟每个地点可能出现的牧草条件变化。管理方式从秋季繁殖（FB）到全年繁殖（YRB）。在不同品种和牧草条件下，与秋季繁殖相比，全年繁殖在每只母羊产羔数、每只母羊出售的羔羊数量、每只母羊的出售体重以及生物效率（出售体重[千克]/消耗干物质[千克]）方面都有更高的生产性能水平。在高牧草量条件下，波尔山羊每只母羊的出售体重确实比西班牙山羊高。然而，当处于中等或低牧草量条件时，波尔山羊的优势就会降低或消失。在高牧草量条件下，两个品种每只母羊出售的羔羊数量表现水平相似。在中等或低牧草量条件下，西班牙山羊每只母羊出售的羔羊数量更多。在这两个地点以及不同的牧草条件下，模拟的两个品种都没有始终如一的优势，但总体而言，随着牧草条件变差，波尔山羊的表现低于西班牙山羊。这些结果表明，不能完全认可波尔山羊。有效利用波尔山羊将取决于牧草资源基础以及生产者向山羊生产系统提供补充饲料等投入的能力。
