Macaúba pulp cake on diet of late-lactation goats

Abstract

In order to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of including macaúba pulp cake on the diet of goats in the final third of lactation, 16 adult animals were separated into two collective pens containing eight animals each, one of them receiving concentrate containing 41,2 g.kg^-1of macaúba cake. The addition of macaúba pulp cake to the concentrate reduced the consumption of roughage without affecting the performance of the animals. Likewise, the protein, fat, lactose and total solids content in the milk were not affected. The feed cost was reduced with the inclusion of the cake in the diet. The inclusion of the macaúba pulp cake to the diet of goats in the final third of lactation is technically and economically feasible for the inclusion level evaluated.