THE ENERGY COSTS OF WALKING ON THE LEVEL AND ON NEGATIVE AND POSITIVESLOPES IN THE GRANADINA GOAT (CAPRA-HIRCUS)

The energy expenditure of six goats averaging 35 (SE 0.3) kg was measu red when the animals were standing or walking on a treadmill enclosed in a confinement-type respiration chamber at different speeds (0.167, 0.333 and 0.500 m/s) and slopes ( -10, -5, 0, +5 and +10 %). The energ y costs of locomotion, estimated from the coefficients of linear regre ssions of heat production (HP) per kg body weight v. distance travelle d were 1.91, 2.33, 3.35, 4.68 and 6.44 J/kg BW per m for -10, -5, 0, 5 and +10 % inclines respectively, indicating that the energy expendit ure of walking over standing changes with slope according to a slightl y curvilinear relationship. The energy cost of raising 1 kg body weigh t one vertical metre was found to be 31.7 J, giving an average efficie ncy for upslope locomotion of 30.9 %. The energy recovered on vertical descent was estimated as 13.2 J/kg per m, indicating an efficiency of the energy recovered above the theoretical maximum.