Body weight and sex effects on digesta mean retention time in growing Saanen goats.

Despite the important role of digesta mean retention time (MRT) on digestive efficiency of ruminants, it is poorly investigated in total gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of growing ruminants, especially in goats. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of body weight (BW) and sex on GIT MRT of particles and solutes in growing Saanen goats. A dataset from two studies, comprising 103 individual records of castrated males ( = 36), females ( = 34), and intact males ( = 33) Saanen goats slaughtered at 15, 22, 30, 37, and 45 kg BW, was used.