Digestibility, Blood Parameters, Rumen Fermentation, Hematology, and Nitrogen Balance of Goats after Receiving Supplemental Coffee Cherry Pulp as a Source of Phytochemical Nutrients.

This research examines the impact of adding dried coffee cherry pulp (CoCP) to goat feed on the digestibility of the feed, rumen fermentation, hematological, and nitrogen balance. A goat feeding experiment employed four male crossbreds (Thai Native × Anglo Nubian) aged 12 months and weighing 21.0 ± 0.2 kg each. The treatment was conceived as a 4 × 4 Latin square with four specific CoCP levels at 0, 100, 200, and 300 g/day. Dry matter intake (DMI), organic matter intake (OMI), and crude protein intake (CPI) were unaffected by the addition of CoCP. However, across treatment groups, there was a linear increase in ether extract intake (EEI) (p < 0.01), neutral detergent fiber intake (NDFI) (p = 0.06), and acid detergent fiber intake (ADFI) (p = 0.04), as well as a quadratic effect on DMI% BW (p = 0.04). The findings showed that rumen temperature, pH, ammonia-nitrogen, or pack cell volume did not change with CoCP supplementation. Total volatile fatty acid showed linear effects on acetate (p = 0.03) and was quadratically affected by propionate concentration (p = 0.02), acetate to propionate ratio (p = 0.01), acetic plus butyric to propionic acid ratio (p = 0.01), and methane estimation (p = 0.01). With increased CoCP supplementation, there was a linear decrease in protozoa count by about 20.2% as the amount of CoCP supplemented increased (p = 0.06). CoCP supplementation in animal feed resulted in a linear decrease in urinary nitrogen (p = 0.02) and a quadratic effect on absorbed nitrogen (p = 0.08) among treatment groups, with greater N utilization values found in goats fed 200 g/d CoCP. In light of this, supplementing CoCP into animal feed may improve animal digestion and rumen fermentation effectiveness while having no effect on feed intake, rumen microbes, or blood metabolites.

Blood Metabolites and Feed Utilization Efficiency in Thai-Native-Anglo-Nubian Goats Fed a Concentrate Diet Including Yeast Fermented Palm Kernel Cake Instead of Soybean Meal.

Feed is the most expensive component in goat production. Hence, lowering it is crucial to increasing producer profitability. The microbial community in rumen is vital for nutritional digestion and absorption in ruminants. Live yeast and yeast-based products generated from the strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae (commercial strain) are actively being used and investigated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of substituting soybean meal (SBM) in concentrate diets with yeast-fermented palm kernel cake protein (YFPKCP) on dry matter intake, digestibility, blood markers, and nitrogen balance. Five crossbred Thai Native-Anglo-Nubian goats (50% Thai Native goats with 50% Anglo-Nubian goats) weighing an average of 27 ± 2 kg were randomly allocated to one of five diets using a 5 × 5 Latin square design: 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% YFPKCP replacement for SBM. Plicatulum hay (Paspalum plicatulum Michx.) was provided ad libitum. There were no significant differences in dry matter (DM) intake among treatments, but the apparent digestibility of DM, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were affected (p < 0.05) by including YFPKCP in diets. They also tended to be slightly lower for goats fed the diet containing 100% YFPKCP replacement for SBM compared to other treatments. Ruminal pH, ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N), blood glucose, and packed cell volume were equivalent among treatments. On the other hand, replacement YFPKCP reduced digestibility and N absorption by up to 75% (p < 0.05). Furthermore, there was no difference in total volatile fatty-acid concentration among goats fed YFPKCP as a substitute for SBM. According to the results of this study, the level of YFPKCP in the concentrate replacement of SBM for goats fed plicatulum hay should be 75%.

Digestibility, ruminal fermentation, and nitrogen balance with various feeding levels of oil palm fronds treated with Lentinus sajor-caju in goats.

OBJECTIVE: This study was an attempt to investigate the effect of levels of fungal (Lentinus sajor-caju) treated oil palm fronds (FTOPF) on digestibility, rumen fermentation, and nitrogen balance in goats. METHODS: Four 16 month old male crossbred (Thai Native×Anglo Nubian) goats with initial body weights of 33.5±1.7 kg were randomly assigned according to a 4×4 Latin square design. Four levels of FTOPF were assigned for feed intake. The experimental treatments consisted of 0%, 33%, 67%, and 100% of oil palm fronds (OPF) being replaced by FTOPF. RESULTS: The results revealed that total dry matter intake and nutrient intake were not influenced (p>0.05) by the inclusion of FTOPF. However, the efficiency values of the digestibility of the dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and acid detergent lignin on FTOPF were higher (p<0.05) in treatments with 33%, 67%, and 100% of FTOPF compared with 0% of FTOPF. FTOPF feeding did not change the rumen pH, temperature, and NH3-N. However, the FTOPF levels did affect the total volatile fatty acid (VFA), molar proportion of acetate, propionate, butyrate, ratio of acetic (propionic acid and acetic) plus butyric (propionic acid), and production of CH4. The totals of VFA and propionate was lower in goat fed with 0% of FTOPF than in those of the other groups (p<0.05). The amount of nitrogen retention based on g/d/animal or the percentage of nitrogen retained was the lowest the goat fed with 0% of FTOPF (p<0.05), whereas nitrogen intake, excretion, and absorption were not changed among treatments. CONCLUSION: Based on this study, FTOPF could be effectively used as an alternative roughage source in total mixed ration diets, constituting at least up to 100% of OPF.