Effects of Parkia platycephala on feeding behavior, rumen health, blood markers, and physiological responses of lactating goats

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Parkia platycephalapod meal (PP) on feeding behavior, rumen health, blood markers, and physiologicalresponses in lactating goats. Eight apparently healthy, adult, multiparous Anglo-Nubiangoats, with an average body weight of 42.06±3.5 kg and approximately 52±4 days inlactation, were randomly assigned into two Latin squares (4×4) composed of four levelsof PP (0, 33.3, 66.7, and 100% of dry matter) for four periods. Daily feed intake, feedingbehavior, rumen health, blood markers (hemogram and biochemical parameters), andphysiological responses (rectal temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, and sweatingrate) were assessed. Intake, feeding efficiency, and rumination efficiency were notaffected by the replacement of ground corn with PP. At these replacement levels, thegoats significantly spent more time feeding and ruminating. There was a significantdecrease in the number of chews (number/day and number/min) with an increase inPP inclusion. Rectal temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, and sweating rate werehigher in the afternoon for the three periods measured. There were no negative changesin blood markers or rumen health with the use of PP. The current findings indicatethat PP can be used to replace up to 100% of the corn in the diet of lactating goatswithout causing significant changes in animal health, feeding behavior, or physiologicalparameters