DIFFERENT PROTEIN SOURCES IN DIETS OF LACTATING GOATS: INTAKE, DIGESTIBILITY, PRODUCTION AND COMPOSITION OF MILK

The study was conducted to evaluate the intake, digestibility, production and composition of milk from goats fed with diets containing different protein sources (soybean meal, cottonseed cake, aerial part cassava hay, leucaena hay). Were used eight goats with 96.5 +/- 3.7 days in lactation, producing 2.0 +/- 0.44 kg of milk and with an average initial weight of 47.5 +/- 6.6 kg distributed in two Latin square 4 x 4. The animals fed the diet containing aerial part cassava hay presented (P<0.05) higher intake of rumen undegradable protein and an intake neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein higher than (P<0.05) the diet with soybean meal. The use of cottonseed cake as protein source have provided (P<0.05) intake of rumen degradable protein and ether extract higher than the remaining diets. The nutrient digestibility, production and milk composition were similar (P>0.05) between the protein sources evaluated. The efficiency of nitrogen utilization and secretion of urea in milk presented significant effect (P<0.05) in that diet with aerial part cassava hay had lower average compared to the diet with soybean meal. Diets containing soybean meal, cottonseed cake, aerial part cassava hay or leucaena hay can be used as a protein source in diets for lactating goats, not to change the digestibility of nutrients or interfere with the production and composition of milk.