Five castrated and ruminally cannulated Saanen goats (±48.19kg) were used to evaluate intake, digestibility and rumen fermentation parameters of diets with inactive dry yeast as a soybean meal substitute (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%). Goats were randomly assigned to a 5×5 (five levels of dry yeast x five periods) Latin square design. Diets were composed of corn silage (40%), ground corn, soybean meal and/or dry yeast and mineral supplement. The intake and digestibility of DM, OM, CP, NDF and TC were not influenced by the treatments. However, EE intake showed negative linear effect. The TDN content did not change with the inclusion of dry yeast in the diets. The pH, N-NH3 concentration and rumen short-chain fatty acids content did not differ among diets. Rumen content scanning electron microscopy observations did not suggest microbial colonization and degradation changes. Dry yeast from sugar cane can replace soybean meal in diets for Saanen goats without changing the rumen fermentation pattern, intake and digestibility.
ammonia; digestibility; goats; Saccharomyces cerevisiae
