Effects of Energy Feed Combinations and Non-Protein Nitrogen on Feed Intake, Nutrient Digestibility and Nitrogen Retention of Saanen Crossbred Goats
Effects of Energy Feed Combinations and Non-Protein Nitrogen on Feed Intake, Nutrient Digestibility and Nitrogen Retention of Saanen Crossbred Goats
Nguyen Thi Hanh Chi1,2, Ho Xuan Nghiep1,2, Tran Trung Tuan1,2, Nguyen Binh Truong1,2*
ABSTRACT
The study aimed to determine the effects of feed supplement combinations with or without urea on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, and nitrogen retention of goats. The study was conducted in the experimental farm of An Giang University, which is part of Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, from February to May 2024. Four male Saanen crossbred goats aged five months (15.4±3.32 kg) were studied using a Latin Square design (4 × 4) over 21 days/periods. The four treatments were maise and cassava chips (Ma.C); broken rice and cassava chips (BrR.C); cassava chips, and urea (Ma.C.U); broken rice, cassava chips, and urea (BrR.C.U). The basal diet was premix, tofu waste, Operculina turpethum vines, and ad libitum fresh elephant grass. The dry matter consumption per body weight showed a tendency towards a decrease in Ma.C.U (3.11%) and Ma.C treatments (3.11%) than in BrR.C.U (3.31%) and BrR.C (3.25%) treatments. Crude protein digestibility (%) of BrR.C.U was similar to Ma.C.U (P>0.05), but it was higher than (P<0.05) BrR.C and Ma.C (78.0, 78.7, 67.4 and 68.2, respectively). Across treatments, nitrogen retention (g/animal/day) differed (P<0.05). Treatments were 4.18, 7.12, 5.08, and 7.50 g for Ma.C, Ma.C.U, BrR.C, and BrR.C.U. Therefore, the energy feed combination without urea or urea that feed intake, nutrient value and nitrogen retention well from high to low were BrR.C.U, Ma.C.U, BrR.C and Ma.C treatments.
Keywords | Soluble carbohydrates, Combinations, Energy feed, Non-protein nitrogen, Small ruminant, Goat
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