ChileanJAR

Two experiments were carried out in order to assess the response of goats to A. saligna as a forage supplement. The first trial used 30 replacement goats assigned to two treatments and kept under natural pasture condition. Every day after grazing during summer and autumn one of the groups received A. saligna keeping the percentage of rejection under 10%. The effect of A. saligna supplement was evaluated through body weight gains and condition. The second trial used 48 pregnant goats assigned to each of four supplement groups for which alfalfa hay was replaced by A. saligna in a proportion of 0; 25; 50 and 75 %. Daily after grazing, the goats received the supplement keeping the percentage of A. saligna rejection under 10%. Both experiments used the same A. saligna provenance. Samples of offered and rejected supplementary forage were taken for nutritional composition analyses and nutrient intake calculations. Experimental data was analysed according to analysis of variance and Duncan test (LSD) layouts. The daily intake of supplementary forage for replacement goats were 0.32 kg; 0.04 kg and 0.507 Mcal/kg for dry matter, crude protein and metabolizable energy, respectively, and the body weight and condition were not significant across treatments (P > 0.05). Further, the response of body weight, condition and milk production to Acacia supplements in adult goats were not significant (P > 0.05). Even though the supplementary forage intake ofthese animals reached 27.44; 9.59 and 28.38% for the 25, 50 and 75% treatments when compared with control treatments, data suggests that A. saligna does not represent a good source of supplementary forage for replacement and adult milking goats unless forage constraints determine its use.