Arid conditions and potential for drought and famine in state, using probiotics in goat farming could be especially beneficial. Probiotics can help goats better withstand these challenging conditions by improving their resilience and ability to utilize available feed. Livestock population in the region is much higher than the carrying capacity of land (Lavania and Kumar 2016). Presently, animal husbandry sector has been identified as an important area for employment generation, while within the animal husbandry the role of goat is very important. It also provides supplementary support system in terms of the income among the weaker communities of the rural societies. Goat farming is one such enterprise which has been practiced by the large human population in India since long (Lavania et al., 2014). Goat farming is a vital component of the agricultural economy in the arid regions of Rajasthan, providing livelihoods, food security, and economic empowerment to rural communities. Farmers fed to limited concentrate supplementation, in addition to free grazing on range land, are known to improve the growth performance of Sirohi kids (Chaudhary et al., 2015).

The use of probiotics, prevents pathogenic colonization of the digestive tract, stimulate development of the immune system and its response and counteract negative effect of such illness (Rosmini et al., 2004). Probiotics are living microorganisms providing beneficial effects for the host when administrated in adequate amounts (FAO/WHO, 2001). They are play a crucial role in maintaining a balance gut microbiota (Pipardhe and Dongre 2023). Therefore; the present farm trial was conducted to assess the effect of supplementation of multi-strain probiotic in the diet of growing kids of institutional Sirohi goats.

College of Agriculture, Sumerpur which is located at the Western side of the state, Thar Desert, on the north bank of the Jawai River. It has population of 37,093 as per 2011 census. Sumerpur block stretches between 25° 9′, 10.3176″ at North Latitude and 73° 4′, 54.6492″ at East Longitude. A farm trial was carried out on institutional Sirohi goats reared on local condition during December, 2023 to February, 2024 in the arid environment. Twenty Sirohi kids, equal age and same sex three months, weighing approximately 10.07 ± 0.5 kg each were equally assigned to two groups designated as control group and experimental group of ten animals each.  Kids in both groups were grazed for 8 h. The vegetative cover of range land was dominated by Cyodondactylon, Cenchrus biblorus grasses, Zizyphus nummularia, Calotropis, sp., Procera sp., shrubs and fodder trees Acacia nilotica and Prosopis cineraria. The concentrate ration offered 250g-300g to all animals during whole experiment period. The ration supplied DCP 14% and TDN 65%. Concentrate mixture was supplemented with mineral mixture @ 2 percent and salt 1 percent. Growing kids of Goats of treatment group were also fed multi-strain probiotic @ 5g/kid/d (CFD). Each 250g of probiotic (Biobloom, product of zydus animal health) contained Saccharomyces cerevisiae (0.37 × 10 million colony forming unit) and lactobacillus sporogenes12500 mcu. Prior to initiation of the experiment, dosing has been done against the internal worms of all animals with suitable medicines. Cost effectiveness was assessed while considering basic purchase cost of ration ingredients and probiotic vis-à-vis speculated market sale price of live weight gain @ 100/kg by the animals. Statistical analysis of data was carried out using the prescribed procedure.

After three months of trial the kids in probiotic supplemented treatment group achieved statistically higher (P<0.01) body weight gain might be due to the improving gut health, nutrient absorption, and overall performance. They help maintain a healthy gut micro biome, which is crucial for digestion and nutrient utilization, leading to augment the weight gain and improved feed efficiency by the treatment group animals (Lavania et al., 2025). Additionally, probiotics can help mitigate the negative impacts of stress and disease, further supporting healthy growth. The animals in experimental group progressively gained high live body weight gain than control. Multi strain probiotic when mixed in diet 5g/d improved overall average daily weight gain (ADG) in treatment group 89.66g than 62.66g in control group animals. The significant improvement in body weight (26.26 kg) for the group fed 60% concentrate plus 5 g probiotics in male goat kids (Al-Galiby et al., 2023).  

Gastrointestinal and respiratory tract disorders, especially during winter months, have been the main cause of morbidity and mortality in growing kids. Probiotics can help goats better withstand these challenging conditions by improving their resilience and ability to utilize available feed in experiment group-2 witnessed any untoward clinical sign. Probiotics can help prevent and manage digestive issues like diarrhea, which can hinder growth. By promoting a healthy gut, they also strengthen the immune system, making the kids less susceptible to diseases that can stunt growth. Probiotics can help goats cope with stress caused by factors like weaning, ration changes, or environmental changes. Stress can negatively impact growth, and probiotics can help mitigate these effects by maintaining a healthy gut and promoting appetite. A line of confirmation with similar study Mamta and Sharma (2008) reported significantly body weight gain and feed conversion efficiency with fed 5 gm/day/kid probitoic in the form of Biobloom for a period 30 days interval in Jamunapari kids. Singh et al. (1998) an improvement in body weight by 570g in 3-4 months old Marwari kids fed 2.5g yeast bolus daily for a period of 3 months than control kids and Deka and Kayastha (2011) also reported  higher increasing body weight gain in Jamunapari kids. Pawar et al. (2022) also concluded that Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus supplemented group exhibited better performance in terms of growth and FCR.

The results of present experiment indicated that an extra investment of Rs 133/- accompanied by Biobloom helped an additional body weight gain of 2.43 kg/kid. The return from the additional mean live weight gain 2.43 kg in probiotic supplemented kids yielded an additional net income of Rs 110/- in 90 days feeding, taking the prevailing market rate of goat meat, as Rs 100/- live weight.

SUMMARY

An on farm trial was conducted at Department of Livestock Production and Management, of College of Agriculture, Sumerpur-Pali district of Rajasthan. A feeding trial of ninety days conducted to assess the effect of probiotic on growth performance in Sirohi kids, similar aged three months. Analysis of fortnightly data revealed that animals ingroup-2 fed with probiotic supplemented significantly gained higher live weight (18.10± 0.27) than control (15.67± 0.76).  Probiotics can help prevent and manage digestive issues like diarrhea, which can hinder growth. By promoting a healthy gut, they also strengthen the immune system, making the kids less susceptible to diseases that can stunt growth. They help maintain a healthy gut micro biome, which is crucial for digestion and nutrient utilization, leading to increased weight gain and improved feed efficiency. Additionally, probiotics can help mitigate the negative impacts of stress and disease, further supporting healthy growth. 

In conclusion, the results of present study showed that supplementation of multi-strain probiotic preparation @ 5g/kid/d for 90 days augment the growth performance of growing Sirohi kids under arid condition. Probiotics can serve as a natural alternative to antibiotics for promoting growth and preventing disease. This is particularly important in the context of antibiotic resistance and the need for sustainable farming practices.