Feed intake of dicotyledonous herbs mixed with meadow hay in goats

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine which of the two kinds of dicotyledonous plants- Sanguisorba officinalis and Plantago lanceolata added to meadow hay at 10 % are preferred by goats. Seven goats of brown shorthaired and white shorthaired breeds were used in four preference tests. They were fed with 6.25 kilograms of meadow hay in the first and third preference tests. During the second and fourth preference tests goats received 6.25 kilograms of meadow hay with 10 % of Sanguisorba officinalis or 6.25 kilograms meadow hay with 10 % of Plantago lanceolata. The mean consumption of meadow hay with 10 % of Plantago lanceolata was higher by 44.8 % than the mean consumption of meadow hay after 8 hours (0.001). The mean consumption of meadow hay with 10 % of Sanguisorba officinalis was higher by 10.4 % than the mean consumption of meadow hay only (0.05). These results demonstrate that the supplement of dicotyledonous herbs improved consumptions of the meadow hay.