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Roughage based feeding strategy for organic dairy goats to increase wholesome milk components for human nutrition
Project
Project code: TI-OL-08-nn
Contract period: 01.11.2012
- 31.10.2015
Purpose of research: Applied research
Objective of the project is an application of a pasture-based feeding system to increase the contents of essential fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), vitamin E, xanthophylls and antioxidants in goat’s milk and cheese. The concentrate ratio will be as low as possible to maximise roughage intake from pasture and hay. Goats as intermediate ruminants (IM) are predestined to select the best diet. Chemical analysis of the nutritionally beneficial components will be carried out by GC and HPLC procedures at MRI.
In a preliminary study we evaluated effects of a low concentrate diet of maximum 10 % of the total annual dry matter intake per dairy goat (KF10) compared to a 40 % diet (KF40). As was expected, milk yield of KF10-group was lower, but fatty acid composition was more valuable using less concentrates. Omega-3 fatty acid and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) were found to be significantly higher in the milk of the KF10 dairy goat group throughout the whole lactation.
Section overview
Subjects
- Animal nutrition
- Special animal species
- Food Chemistry
- Organic Farming
