Goat intake, diet selection and milk quality as affected by grazing time of day
2007
Avondo, M.; Pagano, R.I., Universià di Catania (Italy). Dipartimento delle Scienze Agronomiche, Agrochimiche | Bonanno, A.; Di Grigoli, A.; Alicata, M.L., University of Palermo (Italy). Dipartimento S.En.Fi.Mi.Zo | Giambalvo, D., University of Palermo (Italy). Dipartimento AAT
Sixteen Girgentana lactating goats were divided in two experimental groups and housed in individual pens where they received 500 g/d of barley grain. The goats were left to graze on a Lolium sward, as follows: group 1, from 9:00 to 13:00; group 2, from 12:00 to 16:00. Herbage water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) increased in the afternoon, whereas herbage crude protein (CP) content slowly decreased. However, selective behaviour allowed the morning group to assume a diet much higher in CP than the afternoon group. Pasture DM intake resulted significantly higher in the afternoon, whereas CP intake was not affected by treatment. Fat normalized milk production, milk fat and lactose content were not affected by treatment, whereas protein and casein significantly increased in the afternoon group. On the contrary, milk urea content resulted significantly higher in the morning group. These results seem to indicate that an improvement of ruminal efficiency could be obtained by shifting grazing time from morning to afternoon
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