Abstract:
The research aimed at assessing the effects on nutrient digestion and ruminal fermentation by goats
of a complete feed block (CFB) that incorporated agro-industrial by-products that were high in fibre and
cellulolytic bacteria. Three Kacang goats, a native Indonesian breed, were used in a 3 × 3 Latin square
experimental design with i) CFB without microbes (control), ii) CFB containing 1% Pseudomonas aeruginosa
and 1% Acinetobacter baumannii, and iii) CFB containing 2% P. aeruginosa and 2% A. baumannii. Microbes
in the CFBs consisted of lactic acid bacteria, yeast and cellulolytic bacteria that ranged from 106
to 108
cfu/g.
The goats were fed each day at 08h00 and 16h00. The inclusion of P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii at 2%
level reduced both neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre compared with other treatments.
Goats fed on CFB with microbes had higher (P <0.01) digestibility of organic matter (OM) and NDF
compared with control. The addition of P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii at 2% level increased (P <0.05)
ruminal ammonia nitrogen (N-NH3), acetate, and total VFA. However, goats fed on CFB with microbes had
lower (P <0.05) urinary N excretion, which improved (P <0.05) N retention compared with the control. It was
concluded that a combination of lactic acid bacteria, yeast and cellulolytic bacteria in the CFB could modify
fermentation in the rumen and increase the use of nitrogen in goats.
