Giovana da Silva Oliveira

This study evaluated Saanen goats' milk yield and quality on diets where dried distillers' grains with solubles (DDGS) partially or fully replaced soybean meal (SBM). Fifteen goats were randomly assigned to three treatments-SBM, SBM+DDGS, and DDGS diets-using a 60:40 forage-to-concentrate ratio, with five replicates each. The experiment covered four phases (1-30, 31-60, 61-90, and 91-120 days in milk). Wood's nonlinear Bayesian model estimated the lactation curve, and Tukey's test assessed milk quality. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were found in body weight, dry matter intake, daily milk yield, or milk quality. However, initial milk yield, peak production rate, and decline rate differed significantly (p < 0.05) among diets. The SBM+DDGS diet proved viable from kidding to 120 days, enhancing milk production and optimizing diet efficiency.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii) on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the shoulder and loin of Boer x Saanen crossbred goat kids. Twenty-seven carcasses were used, 13 females and 14 uncastrated males with an average age of 192 days, weighing 30.76 kg, distributed in a completely randomised design using a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement (diet and sex). The yeast was added to the feed before pelletising in a proportion of 0.050 g/kg dry matter (DM). When the goats reached an average of 30 kg of live weight, they were slaughtered. No effects of live yeast on quantitative carcass and qualitative characteristics of shoulder and loin were observed. Regarding sex, males had higher slaughter weights (31.73 kg), empty carcass weight (27.98 kg), hot carcass weight (14.39 kg), cold carcass weight (14.22 kg), higher carcass compactness index (0.28 kg/cm), lower slaughter age (176 days) and lower cooling loss (1.20%). For the cut yields, females presented a higher loin yield (11.55%) and males presented a higher neck yield (6.84%). In the shoulder, males presented a higher proportion of bone (18.58%), while females presented a higher proportion of fat (17.09%) and muscle:bone (3.47). In the loin, females showed higher fat deposition (19.54%) in relation to males. The inclusion of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii in the crossbred goat kids’ diet did not generate differences in the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the shoulder and loin.