The effect of level of energy intake on rectal temperature and maintenance requirements of West African Dwarf goats

In 2 experiments, digestible organic matter intake (DOMI) was studied in 26 adult male West African Dwarf goats given unrestricted access to feed or a restricted diet of pelleted lucerne, ranging from 50 to 140 percent of maintenance requirements. Four goats received ad libitum grass hay and 4 had ad libitum grass straw. Every morning, rectal temperature (RT) was measured before feeding. Plotted against DOMI, RT yielded the following equation (s.e.m. in brackets): RT = 37.56 (<+->0.11) + 0.025 (<+->0.003) DOMI, n=34, r.s.d. = 0.21, R ^{= 0.67. RT was not significantly influenced by experiment, diet type, or system of feeding, but was affected by energy intake. The lower RT in goats with low DOMI may be related to a decrease in maintenance requirements of these animals.}