Microbial protein and blood parameters of goats fed with licury cake

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the ideal level of licury cake in the diet of Boer goats through microbial synthesis estimated based on the presence of purine derivatives in the urine and on blood urea and glucose parameters. Twenty uncastrated one-year-old ¾ Boer goats with an average body weight of 18 kg were distributed in a completely randomized design. Each animal was confined to a one m2 suspended stall with access to water ad libitum. The diets were formulated in accordance with the NRC (2007), and the ingredients were: 50% Tifton-85 (Cynodon sp) hay, corn meal, soybean meal, premixed vitamin and mineral supplement, and licury cake. The treatments were: 1) 0% of the goat’s total diet composed of licury cake (DM basis), 2) 15% of the total diet composed of licury cake, 3) 30% of the diet composed of licury cake, and 4) 45% of the diet composed of licury cake. The experiment lasted for 17 days. The first 10 days were used to adapt the animals to the diets and facilities. The inclusion of the licury cake in the goat’s diets reduced the levels of blood nitrogen and glucose. Urinary excretion decreased linearly with the inclusion of licury cake in the diet. The inclusion of licury cake in the goat’s diets also caused a linear reduction in the excretion of allantoin, xanthine and hypoxanthine and total purine derivative (PD) in urine samples. Based on the microbial protein production and blood parameters of goats fed with licury cake, up to 15% of the goat diet may be composed of licury cake.