Performance of Dairy Goats Fed Soybean Meal or Meat and Bone Meal with or Without Urea During Early Lactation

Use of meat and bone meal for early lactation rations was studied. In Experiment 1, 18 Alpine goats were used in a 15-wk lactation trial. Isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets were fed 15% CP and 2.3 Mcal/kg metabolizable energy) containing soybean meal, meat and bone meal with urea, or meat and bone meal without urea. Dry matter intake was 2.21, 2.30, and 2.34 kg/d for does fed soybean meal, meat and bone meal with urea, and meat and bone meal without urea, respectively. Milk production was 2.50, 2.67, and 2.66 kg/d in the same sequence. Rumen ammonia N (mg/dL) and total VFA (mM) were 12.9 and 81.6 for does fed soybean meal, meat and bone meal with urea, and meat and bone meal, respectively. Serum urea N was higher in does fed meat and bone meal with urea, and no differences were observed in serum total protein and plasma glucose concentrations. In Experiment 2, 4 mature, castrated male goats were used to estimate digestibilities and retention of nutrients in three diets. Digestibilities of NDF and P and retention of P were higher in goats fed the meat and bone meal diet. Allowance of absorbed protein for milk production was calculated to be 81 to 83 g/kg 4% fat-corrected milk. Meat and bone meal may be utilized efficiently by lactating does as a protein less degradable in the rumen; Ca and P source; and may be beneficial for higher milk production during early lactation.