The objective of this study was to evaluate the different contents of neutral detergent fiber from forage at advanced maturity on intake, digestibility of the dry matter and of nutrients, nitrogen balance, milk production, efficiency metabolizable energy use and the ingestive behavior of lactating goats. Five dairy goats were distributed in 5 × 5 Latin square by using increasing contents of neutral detergent fiber from forage as independent variable. Concentrations of neutral detergent fiber from forage used were 20, 28, 35, 43 and 49%. The intakes of dry matter, of nutrients and of net energy were reduced with the increase of fiber to the ration. However the intake of neutral detergent fiber was increasing, indicating the capacity of accommodation of this nutrient by the animals. Fiber content influenced digestibility coefficients of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and non-fibrous carbohydrates but digestibility of neutral detergent fiber was not influenced by the diets. Level of neutral detergent fiber from forage did not influence milk constituents (fat, protein and lactose). Content of fiber from the forage had a quadratic effect on milk production (corrected and not corrected for 4% of fat) in kg.day-1, with greater productions obtained with the content of 28% of fiber. Efficiency of use of the metabolizable energy was not influenced by the variations of the diets. Content of neutral detergent fiber from forage influences ingestive behavior of goats in lactation, increasing the time of rumination and chewing and reducing iddle time of the animals.
dairy goats; ingestion; ingestive behavior; milk production; rumination
