Scientific Electronic Archives, 1(14), p. 33, 2020
DOI: 10.36560/14120211283
The objective of this study was to examine the effect of supplementing goat diets with avocado pulp and oil, with respective ether extract (EE) contents of 14 and 6% (dry matter [DM] basis), on the intakes of DM and nutrients and on the rumen fermentation parameters of pH, ammonia (N-NH3), and volatile fatty acids (VFA). Non-pregnant, non-lactating, rumen-cannulated Saanen goats with an average weight of 66.6±4.6 kg were distributed into two 3 × 3 Latin squares. Concentrate DM intake (g/day) was higher in the animals that consumed the diet with pulp than in the goats fed the control and oil treatments. However, this higher concentrate intake was not sufficient to influence total diet DM intake or the intakes of crude protein, EE, mineral matter, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and total digestible nutrients (TDN). All evaluated rumen parameters were influenced by collection time, except N-NH3, which was influenced by the diets, with lower concentrations obtained with the pulp diet in relation to the control and oil treatments, yet within the limits considered normal to maximize DM intake and digestion. The pulp diet provided a lower butyric acid content than control at the collection times of two and eight hours after the meal, which was attributed to the proportional reduction of roughage in relation to concentrate. Diets with 6% EE do not influence intake or rumen parameters in non-pregnant, non-lactating goats. However, diets with 14% EE (DM basis) induce a reduction in the proportional intake of roughage in relation to concentrate and in the butyric acid and N-NH3 contents in the goat rumen.