Influence of physical forms of non-forage diet on growth performance, feeding behavior, rumen and blood indices, and nutrient digestibility in fattening goats

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of physical forms (PF) of a non-forage fiber-based fattening diet on the growth performance, feeding behavior, nutrient digestibility, blood, and rumen indices in male Beetal goats. Thirty male goats with an average body weight (BW) of 32 ± 1 kg were assigned to one of three dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design. The treatments were as follows: (1) Pelleted (P) diet, where all ingredients were ground to 2 mm and then pelleted; (2) Texturized (TX) diet, where all ingredients, except whole corn grain, were ground to 2 mm, pelleted, and then mixed with whole corn grains; and (3) Unprocessed conventional mix (UCM), where all ingredients were mixed without any mechanical processing. The experimental duration was 12-week, two weeks for dietary adaptation, nine weeks for growth data collection, and one week for evaluation of nutrients digestibility. Daily dry matter intake (DMI) and DMI as a percentage of BW were higher (P < 0.05) in the P diet compared to the TX diet. The male goats fed with the UCM exhibited higher (P < 0.05) average daily gain and gain-to-feed ratio than TX and P diet. The ruminal pH tended to be higher (P < 0.05) in the goats fed the UCM compared to those fed the TX and P diets. The odds of having a fecal consistency score of 3 or more were 16.4 times (2.18–123.97) greater in the P diet and 9.1 times (1.15–72.16) in the TX diet than in the UCM. The intake of DM, NDF, feeding and total rumination time, were higher (P < 0.05) in goats fed UCM than those fed P and TX diets. The digestibility of NDF and EE were higher (P < 0.05) in the UCM and TX than in the P diet. These findings suggest that incorporating an unprocessed diet composed of whole corn grain and soyhulls can lead to enhanced growth performance, improved feeding behavior, and better nutrient utilization.