S. S. PRABHU AND V. N. AMBLE 221
The test has clearly brought out that initial weights significantly influence both the average
weights and average growth rates of kids of both sexes in the two groups. The corrected average
weights and average growth rates of the kids in the two groups work out as follows :
Corrected average weights in lb.
Corrected average growth rates in lb.
per month
Group A
29.06
3.91
Male kids
Group B
27.63
3.67
Difference
+ 1.43
+ 0.24
Group A
26.06
3.42
Female kids
Group B
26.73
3.60
Difference
—0.68
—0.18
The differences between the two groups are in no case found to be significant, showing that the
previously observed significant differences for male kids, were in fact due primarily to the difference
in the initial weights of the kids in the compared groups.
Hence, on the basis of this analysis, it is evident, that weaning does not confer any advantage
on the kids as far as their rates of growth, as measured herein, are concerned. But since the main
object of this study was to demonstrate that natural feeding may be substituted by artificial feeding
without any detrimental effect on the growth of kids so reared, it may be taken that this fact has
been clearly established by this experiment.
DISCUSSION
Weaning as an economic and hygenic practice in rearing of farm young, is well established in
dairy cattle. In Europe and the United States, it is practiced also in goats. In India, the practice
is not common and the aim of this experiment was to test whether the method could be recommended
with safety for general use. In support of weaning, it has been urged that,
(i) It would reduce labour costs, for example the cost of labour involved in bringing the
kids to and taking them away from the dams at the time of milking.
(ii) Infection passing from mothers to kids is reduced to a minimum.
(iii) The diet of the kids could be rigidly controlled and better growth ensured.
(iv) It is possible to accurately record the milk yields of dams—an advantage in progeny
testing and selection of animals for breeding.
(v) It is possible to get more milk.
It is with items iii, iv and v, that the present study mainly deals. As regards, item iii, the
results are clear cut and definite. They show, that the growth of kids can be maintained at the
same level through artificial feeding as through natural feeding. No special advantage in growth
apparently achieved is through hand feeding. As regards item iv, the results are not so clear cut.
The reasons are : (a) the method of recording milk was different in the two groups. In Group A,
milk recording was done daily and in Group B, only one day in a week ; and (b) as pointed out else-
where in this article, the design employed in this study was defective in certain respects, which was
responsible in making the statistical test less sensitive. The error against which group differences
were to be compared for testing significance, was unduly large as it included intra-group and inter-
year variances which could not be eliminated.
As regards (a) of above, it may be pointed out that the error due to the difference in the mode
of milk recording need not necessarily be an unsurmountable obstacle in the interpretation of the
data. Provided the lactation curves of the animals in the two groups follow a normal trend, it can
be shown mathematically that the error introduced in the estimates of lactation yields obtained
through daily recording of milk, as opposed to one day-in-a-week milk recording is small and negligi-
ble. There is however, another source of error which might indirectly influence the lactation yields,
namely the effect of the treatment on the behaviour of the dams. It has been suggested, and quite
rightly too, that the goat used to suckling six days in a week when milked without suckling on the
day of recording, may 'hold back' the milk. Naturally, estimates of total yields calculated on