Addition of nopal and maguey to corn stubble improves the voluntary consumption by goats
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.19136/era.a13n1.4068Keywords:
Dry season, extensive grazing, feed supplementAbstract
Corn stubble is a forage with low digestibility and protein content, but high in fiber, which makes its
consumption very limited. The objective was to know if the addition of cactus or maguey to corn stubble increases voluntary consumption of stubble when used as a supplement for grazing goats. In the first trial, 10 goats crossed with Nubia of similar weight and age were offered corn stubble (S) added with four levels of nopal (0, 30, 50 and 70%, wet basis). The second trial, similar to the first, we replaced the nopal (N) by maguey (M). Both experiments lasted were
performed simultaneously. In the third experiment, the best consumed diets in each of the two previous trials were tested (S30:N70 and S30:M70). In general, the consumption of supplement and stubble was better when the stubble was added with nopal or maguey. As the level of nopal increased supplement consumption increased (P < 0.0001) as well as the
consumption of stubble (P < 0.0001). Similarly, the consumption of supplement and stubble were increased as maguey increased in the ration (P < 0.0001). The addition of nopal (trial 3) improved the consumption of supplement and stubble
to a greater extent than when maguey was used (348.5 vs 271.9 g DM days-1). It is conclude that the addition of nopal or maguey to corn stubble is a viable way to increase voluntary consumption of stubble by goats. The acceptance of maguey as a supplement with corn stubble is lower than that of nopal.
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