The Effect of Concentrate Supplementation to Lactating Toggenburg Dairy Goats on Milk Quality Based on the Milk Fatty Acid Profile
Abstract
Dairy goats are an important source of nutritious milk for humans. Goat milk has nutritional and therapeutic properties beneficial to humans, usually from polyunsaturated fatty acids. The main basal feed for dairy goats in Kenya is Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach), but it is low in nutrients, and, therefore, it needs energy and protein supplementation to enhance milk production. Dairy meal is widely used by most small-scale farmers as the main protein and energy supplement for dairy animals, especially dairy cattle. However, the relevant information on the appropriate amount of dairy meal to supplement the basal diet to feed dairy goats, and the effect of the supplement on beneficial fatty acids in milk, is scarce in Kenya and therefore presents a critical knowledge gap. Therefore, a concentrate with a crude protein content of 160 gkg-1 DM and metabolizable energy content of 10 MJkg-1 DM was constituted to represent a standard dairy meal, and fed to lactating Toggenburg dairy goats fed on Napier grass basal diet, at supplementation levels of 0, 150, 300 and 450 g/goat day-1 in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. The basal and total dry matter intake by the goats were 0.864-0.985 and 0.985-1.307 kg DM/goat day-1, respectively, with a milk production of 306.8-476.9 mL/goat day-1. The milk produced had a lower concentration of saturated fatty acids, ω-6: ω-3 ratio, atherogenecity index and thrombogenecity index; and a higher concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids than milk from unsupplemented goats. It was concluded that farmers feed the energy and protein concentrate at 300 g/goat day-1, as it resulted in the highest daily milk production, and the milk produced is healthier for the human consumer.
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