PSX-10 Program Chair Poster Pick: Effects of meat goat breed, salinity of drinking water, and level of protein supplementation on intake and digestion

Abstract

Abstract The objective was to determine if effects of level of salinity in drinking water for yearling meat goat wethers consuming low-protein roughage are influenced by level of protein supplementation and breed. Eighteen Boer (initial BW of 37.9±1.12 kg and 1.15±0.009 yr) and 18 Spanish goats (33.5±0.66 kg and 1.16±0.008 yr) consumed wheat straw ad libitum for 10 wk. Soybean meal was supplemented at 0.13–0.14 or 0.27–0.28% BW (DM; Low and High, respectively) and water was fresh alone (240 mg/kg total dissolved salts) or with NaCl added at 5,000 or 10,000 mg/L (FW, MS, and HS, respectively). Final BW was not influenced by supplement or water treatments (P >0.12) and was greater (P = 0.003) for Boer vs. Spanish (38.6 and 34.7 kg; SEM=0.84). Water intake ranked (P < 0.05) FW< MS< HS (1,093, 1,295, and 1,541 g/d; SEM=66.6). Wheat straw DMI was similar between supplement treatments (684 and 692 g/d; SEM=21.1) and, thus, total DMI tended (P < 0.068) to be greater for High (733 and 793 g/d for Low and High, respectively; SEM=21.9). There was an interaction (P = 0.015) in total DMI between breed and water treatments because of a relatively low value for Spanish-FW (821, 733, and 811 for Boer and 636, 781, and 796 g/d for Spanish consuming FW, MS, and HS, respectively; SEM=38.0). Breed and water and supplement treatments did not influence the average of total tract digestibilities determined in wk 4 and 8 (P >010). In conclusion, these yearling meat goats displayed considerable tolerance of drinking water high in salinity as varied by NaCl addition, without consistent breed differences. Furthermore, under these conditions, effects of level of protein supplementation did not markedly differ among water treatments or between goat breeds. Future research should address animals with greater nutrient and energy demands and sources of saline water with various mineral arrays.