Diets containing leucaena or estilosantes hay in lactating mixed-breed Anglo-Nubian goats

Abstract

In order to evaluate diets for lactating mixed-breed Anglo-Nubian goats, eight goats with an average weight of 37.9 ± 1.72 kg were used. These were in their 2nd to 4th lactation number, in the middle third of the lactating period, and were distributed in a double latin 4 × 4 square. Milking was carried out at 7:00 and 16:00. The treatments consisted of four diets made up of different forages (elephant grass silage, with or without leucaena or estilosantes hay) and maize grains with or without added soybean meal. Protein supplements of leguminous hay, or mixing these with the soybean meal, did not influence (p > 0.05) the intake of dry-matter, acid detergent fibre, neutral detergent fibre or total digestible nutrients. The digestibility of the dietary fractions was lower (p < 0.05) for protein supplement with leucaena hay only. There was no effect (p > 0.05) from the diets on the production and composition of the milk, neither did the supplements influence the balance of nitrogen, urinary N, or N in the milk. For mixed-breed Anglo-Nubian goats at 60 to 108 days of lactation, the diets formulated with hay from the tropical leguminous leucaena or estilosantes as protein sources in place of soybean meal, have no effect on the dry matter intake or the production and composition of the milk, promoting a positive balance of nitrogen compounds and meeting protein requirements. Studies are recommended, either long-term or at other stages in the production cycle, in order to validate the use of these forages as a protein source in diets for lactating goats.