Evaluation of whole and ground linseed on serum thyroid hormone, physio-metabolic parameters, and growth performance in beetal goat kids in the semi-arid region of Northern India

The study evaluated linseed supplementation, a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, on growth performance, thyroid hormone levels, and serum lipid profiles in Beetal goat kids. Twenty-five goat kids, aged three months, were randomly assigned to five dietary treatment groups for a period of three months. The dietary treatments included: T1 (basal ration), T2 (basal ration + 10% concentrate replaced with whole linseed), T3 (basal ration + 10% concentrate replaced with ground linseed), T4 (basal ration + 20% concentrate replaced with whole linseed), and T5 (basal ration + 20% concentrate replaced with ground linseed). Dry matter intake (DMI) was not found to be significantly affected (P>0.05) across groups. However, significantly higher (P<0.05) average body weight gain (kg) and average daily gain (g/d) were found in all supplemented groups as compared to the control group. Linseed supplementation significantly improved feed conversion efficiency in all groups compared to the control group. Digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and crude fibre remained unaffected, whereas crude protein and ether extract digestibility were significantly (P<0.05) higher. Linseed supplementation significantly reduced triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL levels, while serum thyroxine hormone levels were found to be significantly elevated (P<0.05) in the experimental groups. These findings suggest that both whole and ground linseed supplementation can enhance growth performance, improve serum lipid profiles, and increase thyroxine hormone levels in Beetal goat kids.