Blood Parameter Response in Growing Alpine Goat Kids Fed Diets Containing Extruded Flaxseed or Pumpkin Seed Cake

Blood parameters can provide information on the nutritional status of goat kids, which is related to both health and performance. The present study aimed to research whether feeding extruded flaxseed (FS) and pumpkin seed cake (PC), as an alternative protein source in diets, has an effect on the hematological and serum biochemical parameters of goat kids during growth. In the small-scale goat farm, 31 French Alpine goat kids aged 32 days were used for the study. The goat kids were subjected to three different feeding treatments: a mixture containing soybean meal and extruded soybeans (CON), a mixture containing 16% PC (PC-16), and a mixture containing 9% FS (FS-9). They were monitored during the suckling, weaning, and post-weaning growth periods. PC-16 and FS-9 in goat kids’ diets did not result in any changes regarding average daily weight gain. The WBC count was higher in goat kids fed FS-9 and PC-16 compared to CON (9.84 and 9.54 vs. 6.61 × 109 L) diets during the weaning period. GGT activity was lowest in the serum of goat kids fed PC-16 compared to CON post-weaning (38.65 vs. 48.40 U/L). In addition, FS-19 increased GPx compared to kids fed PC-16 post-weaning (809.7 vs. 600.8 U/L). Regarding blood parameters, PC-16 and FS-9 can be used in goat kids’ nutrition as alternative sources of proteins on a small-scale goat farm without compromising goat kids’ growth.