During the transition phase, dairy goats are highly vulnerable to subclinical hyperketonemia (SCHK). The present work sought to examine how metabolic traits and indirect measures of insulin resistance (sIR) differ between SCHK-affected goats and those in normal health (HEAL) throughout this stage. Twenty Guanzhong dairy goats were categorized into HEAL (n = 10) and SCHK (n = 10) groups according to β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) levels in their blood. Samples were drawn from the jugular vein at −3, −2, −1, 0 (kidding), +1, +2, and +3 weeks relative to parturition to determine glucose (GLU) and insulin (INS) concentrations. Indices of sIR were calculated from these measurements. SCHK goats displayed notably higher insulin values during the first three postpartum weeks compared with HEAL goats. At one week after birth, QUICKI, RQUICKI, and RQUICKIBHBA scores declined significantly, whereas HOMA-IR rose in the SCHK group. Increased insulin output in SCHK goats during early lactation seems to help sustain normal glucose levels, contrasting with the response in healthy animals.
