The energy and protein requirements of pregnant and lactating dairy goats - The Agriculture and Food Research Council report

The basis for the recently published estimates of the requirements of lacta ting goats for metabolisable energy (ME) and metabolisable protein (MP) in the Agriculture and Food Research Council Report [Agriculture and Food Rese arch Council Report (AFRC), 1998. The Nutrition of Goats. CAB International , Wallingford, UK] are presented and the values are compared with the earli er estimates of allowances from the Institut National de la Recherche Agron omique [Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), 1988. Aliment ation des Bovins, Ovins, et Caprins. INRA, Paris; Institut National de la R echerche Agronomique (INRA), 1989. Ruminant Nutrition: Recommended Allowanc es and Feed Tables. Janige, R. (Ed), John Libbey, London] in terms of Unite Fourragere Lait (UFL) and Proteines Digestibles dans l'Intestin (PDI). It is concluded that good agreement exists between the recommendations for the energy and protein requirements of lactating goats for maintenance, milk p roduction and LW change but there are serious differences regarding pregnan cy. Principal areas of uncertainty or disagreement were identified as: comp osition of live weight change (LWC), particularly protein; ME and MP requir ements for pregnancy; and activity factors.