EFFECTS OF INCREASING AMBIENT-TEMPERATURE ON THE INTAKE AND DIGESTIBILITY OF HIGH- AND LOW-QUALITY FEEDSTUFFS IN GOATS

An experiment to study the effects of increasing ambient temperature o n intake and digestibility of high- and low-quality feedstuffs in gear s was carried out. Ten female Australian feral goats aged 3 years and weighing 32.0-50.5 kg were housed in a climate chamber for five succes sive periods each of 10 days, during which temperature was progressive ly increased from 25 to 45 degrees C in 5 degrees C increments. Five g oats were fed lucerne chaff and five sheep pellets. Both feed and wate r (at ambient temperature) were provided dd libitum. In each period, t he animals were allowed to acclimatize for 5 days and data were collec ted during the final 5 days; relative humidity was maintained at 35-45 %. The results indicated that increasing ambient temperature significa ntly reduced feed intake and increased water intake, but did not affec t feed digestibility. Goats fed pellets had significantly (p < 0.01) h igher dry-matter intake and digestibility at all ambient temperatures. Water intake, on the other hand, was not significantly different in t hese two diets. The results highlight the importance of balancing the diet composition, e.g. by supplementation, in improving goat productiv ity in regions where ambient temperature is high and the quality of ro ughage is generally low.