Evaluation of Oral Supplementation of Black Cumin (Nigella sativa) on Growth Performance, Immune Response, Disease Incidence and Mortality Rate of Suckling Zaraibi Goat Kids

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Nigella sativa supplementation on the immune response, disease incidence, mortality rate and growth performance of suckling Zaraibi goat kids. Sixty suckling Zaraibi goat kids (33 males and 27 females) with an average body weight of 3.03 ± 0.02 kg were divided into three groups: a control group (G1), which was fed a basal diet and two treatment groups (G2 and G3), which were fed the same diet supplemented with 0.5 g and 1.0 g of N. sativa per kid per day, respectively, for 84 days. The data were analysed with a general linear model to assess the differences among dietary treatments, and Duncan's multiple range test was applied for post hoc comparisons. Compared with G1, the body weight of the kids in the treatment groups was significantly higher (p < 0.05). Consequently, total weight gain and average daily gain were significantly raised in the G2 and G3 groups compared to the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, the feed intake was significantly higher, whereas the feed conversion ratio was significantly lower in G3 compared to G1 (p < 0.05). The outputs of weaning weight and the adjusted mortality rate increased significantly (p < 0.05), in line with the increasing levels of N. sativa in G2 and G3. G3 fed the highest level of N. sativa and registered the lowest occurrence of diseases, followed by G2, whereas the control, G1, showed the highest incidence (p < 0.05). In particular, the mortality rate decreased significantly (p < 0.05) with the inclusion of N. sativa, showing a clear dose-dependent effect. The highest mortality rate was observed in G1 (15%), followed by G2 (10%), while G3 exhibited the lowest mortality rate (5%) (p < 0.05). The plasma IgG levels were significantly higher in the G2 and G3 groups compared to the control group (p < 0.05), with G3 exhibiting increased IgG levels than G2 (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that N. sativa supplementation can enhance the health and growth performance of suckling Zaraibi goat kids, contributing to sustainable farming practices and potentially reducing antibiotic use in livestock.