Quality and production of goat milk fed soybean hulls

Abstract

The work aimed to evaluate productive performance and milk quality from Saanen goats fed rations with soybean hulls (SBH) as a cracked corn replacement (0%SBH, 50%SBH and 100%SBHH) after the lactation peak. Fourteen goats were used (78.04± 11.10kg) in a completely randomized design. The rations presented 14.84% of CP and 2.56Mcal of ME/kg DM intake. Animals were confined in individual pens, with daily control of ration intake and milk production. Every month, milk samples were collected to perform analyses of fat, protein, lactose and total solid percentage. Differences were not observed among treatments for live weight, daily weight gain and intake of dry matter (DMI, kg/day), organic matter, crude protein and neutral detergent fiber, likewise for milk production, milk production efficiency (kg of milk produced by kg of DMI) and milk composition (%fat, %protein, % lactose and % total solids). However, for milk urea concentration, 100%SBH treatment presented the greatest values. Related to milk fatty acids profile, there was difference among treatments for some fatty acids, and all ratios between categories of milk fat acids were different among the treatments. Soybean hulls can be used as a cracked corn replacement in rations for Saanen goats after the lactation peak without changes in productive performance and the physical-chemical quality of milk.