Effect of Oral Zinc Supplementation on Biometry of the Corpus Epididymis in Assam Goat (Capra hircus) Kids

Abstract

The present study was conducted on thirty six healthy local male goats of Assam of three months of age. The kids were divided into three groups according to the feeding regime as group I (control group) in which animals received no zinc supplementation, while group II and III animals received inorganic form (zinc sulphate @120mg/ kid/day) and organic form (zinc propionate @ 40mg/kid/day) of zinc supplements, respectively with concentrate mixture. Epididymides were collected from these kids at 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 months of age and used for biometrical studies which revealed an increasing trend of all the dimensions (length, width, thickness and weight) of the corpus epididymis with advancing age. In major cases, the biometrical parameters of zincsupplemented kids were significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of control group and between the supplemented groups. Also, certain values were found significantly higher in organic group as compared to the inorganic group.