Effect of Pregnancy on Some Biochemical Parameters in Sahel Goats in Semi-arid Zones

The effects of pregnancy on some biochemical parameters were studied using 20 sexually mature, cycling goats with weight range 20-25 kg. They were randomly separated into two groups of 10 animals each. In one group, oestrus was detected while going round with a buck in the morning and evening; a single buck on detection of oestrus mated the does and the does were tagged as pregnant after confirmation of non-return of oestrus. The other group was kept cycling and tagged as non-pregnant. The mean serum glucose concentration in pregnant does was 63.35 +/- 7.70 mg/dl, significantly lower than 71.59 +/- 1.14 mg/dl for non-pregnant does (p < 0.05); the mean serum cholesterol concentrations were 79.48 +/- 14.93 for pregnant and 67.29 +/- 1.10 for non-pregnant does, with significant difference (p < 0.05). Protein (g/dl), urea (mg/dl), creatinine (mg/dl) and free fatty acid (microequiv/L) remained unchanged between the two groups (p > 0.05), as did the liver enzymes (ALT, AST). Therefore this study showed that low serum glucose and high cholesterol levels are features of mid to late pregnancy in Sahel goats.