Guinea grass or sugar cane tops supplemented with concentrates or Acacia mangium, molasses-urea blocks and rice bran for dual purpose goats

摘要

Theaimofthisstudywastodeterminethefeasibilityof:(i)usingthegrowingpointofsugarcane(sugarcanetops)asthebasaldietforlactatinggoats;and(ii)replacingtheconcentratesupplementwithacombinationofleavesofAcaciamangium,amolasses-ureablockandricebran.Twelvedualpurposegoats(BacThaobreed)werefedthestandarddietoftheexperimentalstation(adlibitumguineagrassPanicummaximumand500g/dayofconcentrate)forthefirst4weeksoflactation.Thedoessuckledtheirkids24hours/dayforthefirst3weeksafterwhichthekidswereseparatedandoncedailyhandmilkinginthemorningwasintroduced,withsucklingfor30minutesaftermilkingandagainintheafternoon(nomilking).Milkyieldwasmeasuredfromthe4thweekasthetotalofmilkproducedatmilkingplusthatconsumedbythekids(byweighingbeforeandaftersuckling).Thesedatawereusedasthecovariatetocorrectmilkyieldduringthesubsequent3weeks(weeks5to7)whentheexperimentaldietswerefed.Theexperimentaldietsconsistedof:(i)Guineagrass(Panicummaximum)adlibitumand500g/dayofconcentrate(control);(ii)Guineagrassadlibitum,200g/dayofmolasses-ureablock(10%urea),Acaciamangiumfoliageadlibitum,200g/dayofricebran;(iii)Sugarcanetops(thegrowingpoint)adlibitumandconcentrates;(iv)Sugarcanetops,Acaciamangium,molasses-ureablockandricebran.Adjustedmilkyields(foryieldduringthestandard4thweek)duringthe7thweek(after3weeksontheexperimentaldiets)were:998,1218,1278and1325ml/day(SE±90;P=0.11).Sugarcanetopswereamoreeconomicalbasaldietforlactatinggoatsthanguineagrassandsupportedslightlyhighermilkproductionandgrowthinthekids.SupplementsofAcaciamangiumleaves,amolasses-ureablockandricebran,designedtosupplyrumenandbypassnutrients,werecheaperandsupportedhighermilkproductionthanconventionalcereal-basedconcentrates.