Effects of Gestation Nutritional Plane and Diet Nutritive Value During Lactation On Feed Intake and Digestion in Lactating Alpine Goats

Abstract

Alpine goats (55) were used to evaluate effects of nutritional plane during gestation for 28 weeks (High- and Moderate-GES) and diet nutritive value (High- and Moderate-LAC) during the first 16 weeks of lactation on feed intake and digestion. Initial body weight and body condition score (BCS; 1-5) in gestation was 57 kg and 2.32, respectively. At 11 days before kidding, body weight was 78.2 and 73.5 kg and BCS was 3.17 and 3.02 for High-GES and Moderate-GES, respectively. Both lactation diets included 20% alfalfa hay and 10% cottonseed hulls, whereas High-LAC and Moderate-LAC contained 10 and 20% grass hay, 12.9 and 10% wheat middlings, 12.9 and 10% rolled oats, 3 and 2.5% soybean oil, and 5 and 2.5% molasses, respectively. The High-LAC and Moderate-LAC diets were 72.7 and 64.4% TDN, respectively. Intake of DM (3.74, 3.56, 4.15, and 3.74% body weight), digestibility of organic matter (78.0, 75.8, 78.3, and 78.8%; SEM = 1.62), and digested organic matter intake (1,911, 1,883, 2,204, and 1,881 g/day for High-GES/High-LAC, High-GES/Low-LAC, Low-GES/High-LAC, and Low-GES/Low-LAC, respectively) were not affected by gestation nutritional plane, diet nutritive value during lactation, or their interaction. In conclusion, differences in digested organic matter intake suggest potential benefit from use of a high quality diet during lactation subsequent to a moderate nutritional plane during gestation.