Influence of Feeding Regimens on Goat Milk Yield and Chemical Composition

Abstract

The study was aimed to provide the information on goat farming status in Thailand. The effects of nutritive values of feedstuffs and feeding regimens on milk production and quality were investigated under a routine goat farming program in the Northern Central Region of Thailand, including Nontaburi, Pathumthani, Singburi, Suphanburi, Saraburi, Lopburi, Ang-thong, Chainat, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya provinces, and Bangkok suburbs.  Most commonly used feedstuffs for dairy goat farming were fresh pangola and paragrass, corn stover and husk either fresh or silage as roughage.  In addition, other feedstuffs such as dry pangola, rice straw, pressed pineapple cake, and fresh Leucaena leucocephala may be fed or allowed free grazing on fresh forages depending on their availability.  Fresh pangola contained higher DM (31.72%) and lower CP (6.94%) than those obtained from paragrass (18.52 - 22.05 and 11.62 - 20.82%, respectively).  Corn stover silage had more CP (8.48%) but less ADF and NDF than corn husk silage.  Both soy bran and soy hull were also used to provide energy and CP for dairy goats. Compared to other sources of feed concentrate, soy hull which contained a considerable amount of CP, ADF and NDF at 16.81, 45.95, and 60.88% DM, respectively, could be served both as a source of protein and fiber.  The amount of DM from roughage were used in the range of 22 to 86% with the corresponding DM, CP, EE, CF, NDF, ADF, and NFC of 4.00 - 5.84% BW, 10.50 - 20.35% DMI, 1.26 - 3.78% DMI, 21.70 - 29.42% DMI, 34.31 - 40.04% DMI, 51.50 - 68.55% DMI, and 14.05 - 20.00%, respectively.  No significant effects of DM on the chemical composition of milk were observed.  The chemical composition containing fat, protein, lactose, ash, TS, and MSNF showed the values in the ranges of 3.05 - 4.27, 2.96 - 3.70, 4.39 - 4.86, 0.71 - 0.85, 11.60 - 13.28 and 8.33 - 9.18%, respectively.  Goats supplied with 40 - 50% of roughage DM produced the highest milk yield at 1.33 ±0.32 kg/hd/day.  However no trend in the change of milk yield was observed among those roughage DM levels.