Cottonseed in the diet of Saanen goats in semiarid of Paraiba

Abstract

The present work aimed to evaluate the effects of the feed supplementation with different levels of cotton-seeds on milk production and the effect of environment on the physiological responses of Saanen goats in semiarid of Paraíba. Sixteen goats were used with average weight of 55kg ± 1,41kg. For milk production analysis, it was used a latin square design 4x4 (4 animals and 4 periods of 15 days) with four treatments and for the environmental and physiological parameters it was used a completely randomized design with two treatments (morning and afternoon) and 16 repetitions. In the analysis of milk production the treatments consisted in the inclusion of 4 levels of cotton seeds in the diet (0; 3; 6 and 9%), in the evaluation of environmental parameters and physiological treatments consisted of two shifts (morning and afternoon). Evaluated the environmental parameters air temperature, relative humidity, black globe temperature and physiological: respiratory rate, rectal temperature and surface temperature. In the environmental and physiological parameters was observed that there was effect of shifts (P < 0.05) with elevation ambient temperature and respiratory rate, rectal temperature and surface temperature. Regression analysis, we determined that there was no correlation between levels of cottonseed and average daily production of milk, so it is possible to conclude that the cotton seeds can be administrate as complement in the diet of goats in lactation and saanen goats, although they maintained homeothermy with increased respiratory rate, proved susceptible to the semi-arid climate.