Intake, ingestive behavior, and digestibility in goats fed diets containing different lipid sources

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the inclusion of lipid sources in diets for goats, regarding animal intake, ingestive behavior, and nutrient digestibility. Sixteen uncastrated male goats were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design, with the following four treatments: a control, with corn as an energy source; licuri cake; residual soybean oil; and calcium salts of long-chain fatty acids, i.e., inert fat. The experimental period lasted for 84 days. Goats subjected to the control and inert fat diets had a higher crude protein digestibility than those that received the diet containing licuri cake. The control diet provided a greater digestibility of nonfibrous carbohydrates. Goats that received inert fat diets had the highest digestibility of total digestible nutrients. The diet with licuri cake resulted in a higher rumination time and neutral detergent fiber rumination, as well as in a shorter idling time. The animals spent more time feeding and less time ruminating during the afternoon, whereas the longest idle time was observed during early evening. The use of fat lipid sources did not affect animal intake, showing similar results to that of the control diet. However, the inclusion of the licuri cake reduces the digestibility of crude protein and total digestible nutrients, causing a longer rumination.