Spineless cactus associated with different sources of fiber in goats diet
sugarcane bagasse, elephant grass, goat breeding, goat meat, effective fiber
The objective was to evaluate the intake and digestibility of nutrients, performance and ingestive behavior of dairy goats kept in confinement fed with forage palm associated with sugarcane bagasse or elephantgrass hay. Twenty-four goats (12 whole and 12 castrated) from a dairy herd with an average initial weight of 18.5 ± 3.8 kg were slaughtered after 70 days of confinement, distributed in a completely randomized experimental design, in factorial arrangement 2 x 2, being two sexual conditions and two experimental diets, totaling four treatments and six repetitions. During the experimental period, the animals were confined in individual stalls equipped with a feeder and drinking fountain, with a diet offering twice as complete feed. For the estimation of total digestible nutrients (TDN) a digestibility test was performed 48 days after the start of the experiment. The evaluation of the ingestive behavior was performed by the method of instantaneous sweep with interval of ten minutes, during 48h. Weighed every 14 days to adjust the supply and calculation of GMD, CA and GT. The association of the forage palm with the different sources of fiber and the sexual conditions did not cause significant differences in CMS (kg /day,% PV and % PV0,75), and nutrient consumption. However, the digestibility coefficients of DM, CP and CNF were higher when the palm was associated with sugarcane bagasse. There was no significant difference in NDF intake and digestibility, while NDT intake was higher for whole animals fed elephantgrass hay (significant interaction). No effects of the diets and sexual conditions analyzed on GMD, GT and CA were observed. The times spent with leisure, rumination and total chewing time varied according to the diets evaluated, but there was no effect on feeding and rumination efficiencies. Despite the effects on the digestibility of some nutrients, as well as on some behavioral parameters, the diets evaluated do not alter the CMS and performance of the milk goat kept in a confinement regime, regardless of the sexual condition.