________________________________________________________________________________ AbstractThe objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a progestagen treatment (fluorogestone acetate sponge) alone or in combination with equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG) on oestrus response in Red Sokoto (RS) goats. One hundred RS does were treated with 30 mg fluorogestone acetate (FGA) sponges for 14 days. At the end of the progestagen treatment, does that retained the sponges were allocated to two groups; FGAeCG and FGA. The FGAeCG group (n = 28) received 200 IU eCG i.m. concurrently with the sponge removal, while the FGA group (n = 28) did not receive eCG at sponge removal. Oestrus was detected twice daily (at 07:00 -10:00 and 15:00 -18:00) using sexually active bucks for five days following progestagen withdrawal. There was no significant difference in oestrus response between groups FGAeCG (82.1%) and FGA (78.6%). There was a significant difference in the time to the onset (29.3 ± 4.6 and 44.2 ± 6.3 h for the FGAeCG and FGA, respectively) and duration of the induced oestrus period (38.9 ± 5.1 and 22.7 ± 4.6 h for the FGAeCG and FGA groups, respectively). It is concluded that although both groups showed good oestrus synchronization rates, administration of eCG shortened the time to onset of oestrus and increased the duration of oestrus in Red Sokoto does. ________________________________________________________________________________

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Twenty Red Sokoto bucks (average liveweight of 21.4±3.2 kg) were used to evaluate the effects of varying levels of palm oil (PO) in concentraterations on nutrients digestibility and nitrogen retention. Five iso-nitrogenous concentrate supplements (CP 160 g/kg concentrate) compounded with 0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 g palm oil/kg of concentrate, were used to supplement a basal diet of wooly finger grass (Digitaria smutsii, Stent) hay. The five supplements were designated as treatments 0-PO (control), 40-PO, 80-PO, 120-PO and 160- PO. The bucks were each fed 536 g/d of hay, and 343 g/d of concentrate to give a ratio of 60:40 hay to concentrate. Results showed that inclusion of PO in the concentrate rations did not affect (P>0.05) total dry matter intake of the goats but intake values declined slightly with further increase in levels of PO beyond 40 g/kg concentrate. No adverse effects on total tract digestibility of nutrients were observed. Nitrogen retention of the goats was positive and not affected (P>0.05) by dietary levels of PO. It was concluded that inclusion of palm oil in the concentrate supplement beyond 40 g/kg level for the Red Sokoto goats marginally depressed total dry matter intake, but had no adverse effects on the total tract digestibility of nutrients and nitrogen retention.

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