4.2. Reproductive Performance
Poor quality feed and inadequate levels of feeding during the pre-mating and mating periods affect the reproductive performance of ewes (Smith and Knight, 1998). In this study, the dietary soya waste supplementation and pelleted compound feed appeared to have no adverse effects on the analysed reproductive parameters (oestrus, pregnancy rate, gestation length and kidding rate). This finding might be explained by the high level of protein and moderate level of ME in soya waste. Smith (1985) reported that protein is a critical nutrient in the reproductive response of ewes to supplementary feeding and that a minimum CP intake of 125 g/ewe/d was needed to increase the ovulation rate. In this study, the calculated CP intake was below this value in the pelleted compound feed group during the pre-mating and mating periods. The calculated CP intake of the soya waste-supplemented does approached or exceeded this value (Table 4). Adequate nourishment obtained from the soya waste could explain the similar reproductive parameters in the soya waste and pelleted compound feed groups. All the does in the pelleted compound feed and soya waste groups that became pregnant had a single birth, and there were no multiple births in either group. No pre-weaning kid mortality was observed, which may be attributed to maternal nourishment, animal management and the single births (Dalton et al., 1980).