Energetic food in rations for growing goats

Abstract

The use of native or cultivated crops in semi-arid region, such as the wild cassava, sorghum and cassava, can reduce costs, increase productivity and competitiveness of the production systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of three energy sources as a supplement of a wild cassava silage meal over the productive performance and carcass characteristics of growing goats. The experimental treatments were supplementation sources: cassava meal, cassava meal in association to wheat bran and sorghum middling and cassava meal in association to sorghum grain. Eighteen male goats with 14.06±3.61 kg of initial body weight were allocated into three groups in collective pens. The experimental design was a completely randomized with six replications by treatments. The supplementations were not affect the daily weight gain, total weight gain, body condition score, carcass characteristics (cold and hot carcass weight and dressing), carcass measurements (carcass length and depth and leg width, depth and length) and commercial meat cuts yields (leg, shoulder, rib, briscket and neck) . The cassava meal, in ration containing wild cassava silage with relations of 80% roughage and 20% concentrate, may substitute the grain of sorghum and the wheat bran.