The objectives of this trial were to evaluate the effect of dietary oil supplementation on intake, apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients, and ruminal metabolism in lactating Saanen goats. Four ruminally cannulated multiparous goats averaging 54±1.02 kg BW and 80 days in milk were used. Goats were fed a control diet (no oil supplementation) or diets supplemented with one of the following oil sources: canola, rice or soybean. A 4 x 4 Latin square design was used and data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS (2001) with means compared through orthogonal contrasts at 5% of significance. Dietary oil supplementation reduced apparent total tract digestibility of both neutral detergent fiber and nonstructural carbohydrates but contents of TDN did not differ among diets. Oil supplementation did not change the concentration of ruminal ammonia N and plasma urea N but increased ruminal pH and decreased milk urea nitrogen concentration (MUN). The inclusion of 5.1% of vegetable oils in the diet of lactating goat did not significantly affect nutrient digestibility and ruminal fermentation parameters.
rice oil; rapeseed oil; soybean oil; ruminal pH
