Effect of hempseed meal on health, growth performance, ruminal fermentation, and carcass traits of intact male goats

Abstract

Hempseed meal (HSM) is a potential alternative feedstuff for livestock due to its high protein content, but it has not been approved for animal feed in the United States due to safety concerns. This study was conducted to determine the effects of HSM on feed intake, growth performance, serum biochemistry, ruminal papillae morphology, ruminal fermentation profiles, and carcass characteristics of intact male goats. Thirty-six Boerâ€..×â€..Spanish intact male goats were randomly assigned to one of four experimental diets (nâ€..=â€..9 goats/diet): 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% HSM on as-fed basis. Diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and fed free-choice for ad libitum consumption in the 60-day experiment. Linear and quadratic effects of different concentrations of HSM were determined. Total feed intake, crude protein intake, ruminal papillae morphology (papillae density, length, width, absorptive surface area, stratum corneum, and stratum granulosum thickness), carcass traits (longissimus muscle area, body wall thickness, backfat thickness, shrink percentage), and serum concentrations of most metabolites were similar among treatments (Pâ€..>â€..0.05). Intake of acid detergent fiber (ADF) and nitrogen detergent fiber (NDF) increased linearly (Pâ€..