Factors affecting feed efficiency in dairy goats

• Main Authors: Tadeu Silva de Oliveira, Fernando de Paula Leonel, Cássio José da Silva, Danielle Ferreira Baffa, José Carlos Pereira, Joanis Tilemahos Zervoudakis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Zootecnia 2014-10-01
• Series: Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia
• Subjects: dry matter intake; goat; milk yield
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-35982014001000524&lng=en&tlng=en

The objective of this study was to present some factors affecting feed efficiency in dairy goats. To develop our work, individual and average data from performance experiments with lactating goats were used. The following variables were evaluated: gross feed efficiency, adjusted feed efficiency, dry matter intake, milk-yield, 3.5% fat-corrected milk yield, dry matter digestibility, dietary neutral detergent fiber content, different roughage-to-concentrate ratios and body weight. The statistical analyses involved the application of descriptive and dispersion measures besides Pearson's correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis. The analyzed variables were highly correlated with feed efficiency. The feed efficiency of lactating goats was affected by the milk fat correction, dry matter digestibility, dietary fiber content, proportion of roughage in the diet and body weight. Among these factors, standardization of the milk fat appeared to be the most efficient in correcting the feed efficiency in lactating goats. Correction of some of these factors implies greater precision in the measurement of feed efficiency.