371 Influence of Breeding Season Lameness on Reproductive Performance in Meat Goat Does

Abstract Over four years, 564 performance records from 235 does were processed to determine if lameness during the breeding season affected reproductive outcomes in meat goats. Lameness cases recorded routine daily herd wellness checks and treated within a short time after diagnosis. Does bred between September January. Kids weaned at 3 mo of age. Fall (September-November) winter (December-February) used classify each year as having experienced (LAME) or no case (NOLC) by season. In fall (F) there 396 NOLC 168 LAME does. Spring kidding rates greater (P < 0.05) for NOLC-F than LAME-F (77.1 ± 4.5% vs. 67.9 6.1%). Whole-herd litter size was (1.18 1.02 0.1 kids/doe). Summer weaning tended differ = 0.08) groups (NOLC 68 3.3%; 59.5 4.6%). 0.01) (0.97 0.05 0.78 0.06 kids). (W) 473 87 NOLC-W LAME-W (77.6 4.1% 58.6 7.5%). (1.17 0.9 0.09 higher (68.5 3.2% 53.0 5.9%). (0.95 0.73 0.08 Results suggest that may negatively impact outcomes.