Production performance and milk composition of late lactation dairy goats fed diets based on silages of four different forage species

The objective of the current trial was to evaluate the effect of feeding four different forage species on milk yield and composition, including protein and fatty acid profiles, in dairy goats. Two grasses (Timothy; mown at early heading, and Italian ryegrass; mown at 25 cm height) and two legumes (Alfalfa and White clover; both mown at 10% bloom) were harvested and conserved as silage. Twelve dairy goats of three different breeds (4 Alpine, 4 Toggenburg, and 4 Saanen) in late lactation were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design. Goats were offered ad libitum access to the tested forages supplemented with 180 g/d of concentrates based on rolled barley and heat-treated soybean meal. DM intake was lower with timothy, intermediate with ryegrass and white clover, and greater with alfalfa. Milk yield was lower with timothy as compared with the other three silages. Milk fat yield was similar among treatments. Milk CP yield was lower with timothy as compared with the other three silages. Milk N efficiency (N secreted/N intake) was greater with timothy, intermediate with ryegrass, and lower with the two legume silages. The proportion of true protein as a percentage of CP was lower in milk from goats fed legume as compared with grass silages. Proportions of casein and whey protein expressed as percentages of true protein were greater with timothy, intermediate with ryegrass and white clover, and lower with alfalfa. Among grass silages, intake and milk secretion of cis-9, cis-12 cis-15 18:3 was greater with ryegrass than with timothy. As a result, the transfer efficiency from dietary intake to secretion in milk was not different between these two treatments. Fewer differences were observed regarding legume forages, as cis-9, cis-12, cis-15 18:3 intake and milk secretion were similar with alfalfa and white clover. However, the transfer of cis-9, cis-12, cis-15 18:3 from diet to milk was highest when feeding alfalfa. In conclusion, forage species fed to dairy goats influence milk composition in terms of fatty acids and protein fractions, which can potentially impact the nutritive value and technological properties of milk.