18. Mitigating Weaning Stress in Goat Kids: Effects of Bee Pollen Supplementation on Growth Performance and Mortality Rate.

Abstract Due to goats' adaptability to different environments and climate conditions, they serve an important role in food security and economic stability. However, at weaning, kids may encounter issues such as weaning stress which can cause impairment in kids’ growth, health, digestive function and even cause death. Therefore, investigating feed additives during the weaning transition that can reduce kid mortality and enhance growth performance is of interest. Bee pollen (BP), a nutrient rich, antioxidant-rich supplement, has the potential to reduce stress in weaned kids, offering sustainable strategies to improve growth performance and reduce mortality rates. While previous studies have demonstrated improved growth and performance in monogastric animals supplemented with BP, there is limited research evaluating its effects in ruminants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplementing BP at 1g/kg of body weight (BW) on live weight performance and mortality rates in weaned goat kids. Spanish x Beor goat kids (n = 39) were weaned at 3 months of age and were equally divided into two groups based on BW, birth type, and sex. Both groups received a grain-based diet that met the nutritional requirements for growth. The treatment group received 1g/kg of their body daily via syringe, while the control group received 10mL of water for 61 days. Body weights were collected weekly. Individual animals were considered experimental units, and data were analyzed using mixed models with repeated measures. BP supplementation resulted in a significant difference in BW between treatment and control groups (T-BP 11.52 kg vs T-CTL 10.62 kg; P < 0.05). A total of seven mortalities occurred (T-BP = 2 vs T-CTL = 5; P > 0.05); four were females, and all were twin-born kids. These findings suggest that BP supplementation influences growth performance without affecting mortality in goats, possibly through its antioxidant and bioactive compounds that improve metabolic efficiency. Future studies should investigate higher levels of BP supplementation and focus on vulnerable groups, such as twin-based and female kids, to better understand the interaction between nutrition, weaning stress, and growth. In conclusion, this study provides foundational evidence supporting BP as a potential natural feed additive to enhance growth performance in ruminant production systems.