7/28/2019 529-2128-1-PB

1/3

Evaluation of animal welfare and milkproduction of goat fed on diet containing

hydroponically germinating seeds

Giuseppe Marsico, Elisabetta Micera, Salvatore Dimatteo,Fabrizio Minuti, Arcangelo Vicenti, Antonia Zarrilli

Dipartimento di Produzione Animale, Universit di Bari, Italy

Corresponding author: Antonia Zarrilli. Dipartimento di Produzione Animale, Facolt di Medici-

na Veterinaria, Universit di Bari. Strada prov.le per Casamassima km 3, 70010 Valenzano (BA), Italy

Tel. +39 080 4679926 Fax: +39 080 4679883 - Email: a.zarrilli@veterinaria.uniba.it

AbstrAct - Hydroponic odder is a particularly nutritious eed, rich in protein and vitamins

such as -carotene, trace elements and enzymes. It may also oer the advantage o a continuous

availability. A pilot plant or hydroponically production o germinating seeds was built in an area

o the same arm where the trial took place. Three homogeneous groups o 30 Jonica breed goats in

lactation (4th-5th parity) were used to evaluate the eects o two dierent levels o partial dietary

substitution with hydroponically germinating (h.g.) oat on plasma levels o cortisol and milk pro-

duction. Germinated oat was used ater 7 days o hydroponic growth. Control group (T) received

only eed (odder and oat integrated with complement eed). The other 2 groups were ed on diet

containing dierent levels (1,5Kg - group A; 3Kg - group B) o hydroponically germinating oat.

Goats showed a small interest in resh eed during the trial period. The integration with hydro-

ponically germinating oat in partial substitution o the traditional eed in the diet o goat did not

signicantly aect biochemical and haematological parameters.

Key words: Goat, Cortisol, Milk production, Hydroponics.

Ioduio - Dairy goat and dairy sheep arming is a undamental part o the national econo-

my, especially the rural economy o many countries in the Mediterranean region (Boyazoglu, 2001).

The two species are requently reared together, although they are dierent under some points o

view as disposition, temperament and productivity. In act, goats are adapted to the dicult envi-

ronment o marginal land and scarce eed (Kadim et al, 2006). Researchers can ormulate diet in

order to optimize milk-production and, at the same time, oer a suitable and balanced eeding to

animals, also improving their welare. Some reports (Periset al., 1999; Bonannoet al, 2007) estab-

lish the importance o the rearing conditions or goat during lactation. It is known that hormones,

as well as modulators and central neuropeptides, interact with the energetic pathway and conse-neuropeptides, interact with the energetic pathway and conse-, interact with the energetic pathway and conse-

quently aect productive and reproductive perormances. For these reasons a study on welare

should analyse haematic-chemical characteristics, serum protein and hormone levels as stress in-

dicators (Walsberg, 2003; Romeroet al., 2004; Scheneideret al., 2004). Researchers have been used

several physiological indicators to assess welare/stress in livestock. Stress in animal husbandry

is related to changes in hormone levels and blood chemistry as well as behavioural reactions. The

plasma content o cortisol is an eective indication o goat welare (Kannan et al., 2000). It may

be helpul to nd new eeding systems, such as odder produced hydroponically, which can oer a

constant supply o ood, characterized by a high protein level and mineral salts. This work aims

to evaluate goat welare and milk production when animals are ed on diet containing h.g. seeds.

Data were recorded in order to assess the eects o this kind o diet and evaluate animal welare

(by biochemical, haematological and hormonal tests) and milk production.

Ital.J.anIm.ScI. vol. 8 (Suppl. 2), 625-627, 2009 625

7/28/2019 529-2128-1-PB

2/3

Maial ad mhod - The research was carried out in the agro-zootechnical arm LAia

Vecchia, (Lecce, Apulia Region), between September 2006 and January 2007. Three homogeneous

groups (10 subjects each one, 30 in total) o Jonica breed goats in lactation (4th-5th parity) were used

or the trial. All the subjects were ed a daily rationper capita with 400g o eed and 700g o wheat

straw as unieed, (average moisture about 60%), by mixer wagon. In addition, the three groups

received an integration o: 600g o eed or the rst group, as control (T); 400g o eed and 1.5kg o

h.g. oat in the second group (A); 200g o eed and 3kg o h.g. oat in the third group (B). The eed used

was complete, balanced and pelleted, the same or all three groups. Chemical and nutritional char-

acteristics o dry matter o diet or all groups were as ollows: 16.5% crude protein, 25% crude ber,ber,,

0.80UF or milk/ kg d.m. A pilot plant or h.g. seeds production was built in an area o the arm; h.g.

oat was used ater 7 days o hydroponic growth.The biochemical and haematological proles, as well. The biochemical and haematological proles, as well

as the level o plasma cortisol

and the daily milk production

(7 controls every ten days)

were recorded. Blood parame-

ters were established on sam-

ples taken rom the jugular

vein o the animals between

8:00 and 9:30a.m., at the end

o each month. Plasma corti-

sol amount was assessed by

ELISA Kit (Medical Biologi-

cal Service). Statistical analy-

sis was perormed by one way

ANOVA. Dierences were

considered statistical signi-

cant when P

7/28/2019 529-2128-1-PB

3/3

It was observed a progressive increase o cortisol during the time or all groups, proving that in

goats the plasma levels o cortisol are higher during the winter than in other periods (Nelsonet al,

2000; Al Busaidiet al., 2008), while or each sampling time o plasma cortisol no signicant dier-

ences were detected among the three groups. The average daily milk yield (g/d) during the trial are

shown in the Figure 2. It was noticed or all groups and or each decade o sampling a gradually

decrease o daily milk yield, due to physiological trend o lactation. However, any relevant change

in milk yield was never ound among groups. In the end, we may conclude that the integration with

h.g. oat in partial substitution o the traditional eed in the diet did not signicantly infuence phys-

iological parameters o goat. The ndings o this experiment are in disagreement with our other

ones obtained by a simultaneous trial carried out on Comisana sheep (Micera et. al, 2009). In our

opinion, the use o a eed based on h.g. seeds improved sheep welare and milk production in ewes

(Miceraet al., 2009), while did not determine any eect on goat physiological parameters. That is

due probably to the behaviour o this last species about eeding resh orage supplied in manger,

considering that higher eed reusal estimations were recorded or orage grasses than leguminous

odder crops. It could be interesting to evaluate using o this kind o diet when it is supplying many

times a day, since the metabolic eect o eed in goat accustomed to eat little and numerous intakes

throughout the day (Abijaoudet al., 2000).

his work was supported by a grant of Apulia Region PE_070 B.AL.D.O.

references Aijaoud, J.A., Morand-Fehr, P., Tessier, J., Schmidely, Ph., Sauvant, D.,

2000. Contribution o main and secondary meals to the daily intake o stall-housed dairy goats in

mid lactation. In: Ledin I., Morand-Fehr (eds.). Sheep and goats nutrition: Intake, digestion, quality

o products and rangeland. Cahiers Hoptions Mditerranennes, 52:33-37. Al-buaidi, R., John-

son, E.H., Osman Mahgoub, S., 2008. Seasonal variations o phagocytic response, immunoglobulin2008. Seasonal variations o phagocytic response, immunoglobulin

G (IgG) and plasma cortisol levels in Dhoari goat. Small Rum. Res. 79:118-123.Small Rum. Res. 79:118-123. boao, A.,

Di Grigoli, A., Stringi, L., Di Miceli, G., Giambalvo, D., Tornamb, G., Vargetto, D., Alicata, M.L.,

2007. Intake and milk production o goats grazing sulla orage under dierent stocking rates. Ital.Intake and milk production o goats grazing sulla orage under dierent stocking rates. Ital.

J. Anim. Sci. 6:605-607. boyazoglu, J., Morand-Fehr, P., 2001. Mediterranean dairy sheep and2001. Mediterranean dairy sheep andMediterranean dairy sheep and

goat products and their quality. A critical review. Small Rum. Res. 40:1-11.Small Rum. Res. 40:1-11. Kadim, I.T., Mahgoub,

O., Al-Kindi, A., Al-Marzooqi, W., Al-Saqri, N.M., 2006. Eects o transportation at high ambientEects o transportation at high ambient

temperatures on physiological responses, carcass and meat quality characteristics o three breeds

o Omani goats. Meat Science, 73:626-634. Kaa, G., Terrill, T.H., Kouakou, B., Gazal, O.S.,

Gelaye, S., Amoah, E.A., Samake, S., 2000. Transportation o goats: eects on physiological stress

responses and live weight loss. J. Anim. Sci. 78:14501457. Mia, E., Ragni, M., Minuti, F., Rubi-

no, G., Marsico, G., Zarrilli, A.,2009. Improvement o animal welare and milk production o sheepImprovement o animal welare and milk production o sheep

ed on diet containing hydroponically germinating seeds. Proceeding o the ASPA 18 th Congress,

in press. nlo, R.J., Drazen, D.L., 2000. Seasonal changes in stress responses. In Encyclopedia

o Stress. Academic press, 402-408. Pi, S., Caja, G., Such, X., 1999. Relationships between ud-

der and milking traits in Murciano-Granadina dairy goats. Small Rum. Res. 33:171-179. romo,

L.M., 2004. Physiological stress in ecology: lesson rom biomedical research. Trends Ecol. Evol.

5:249-255. shid, J.E., 2004. Energy balance and reproduction. Physiol. Behav. 81, 2:289-317.

Walg, G. E., 2003. How useul is energy balance as a overall index o stress in animals? Horm.

Behav. 43:16-17.

Ital.J.anIm.ScI. vol. 8 (Suppl. 2), 625-627, 2009 627

proc. 18th nat. congr. aSpa, palermo, Italy