Infuluence Of Concentrate Supplementation On The Milk Constituents And Mineral Composition Of Red Sokoto Goats:- Ekeada, Leaticia

ABSTRACT j , An investigation was carried out on the influence of concentrate supplementation on the miljk constituents and mineral composition ofthe milk ofRed Sokoto goats at early lactation. A total of nine in-does of Red Sokoto (RS) at early second trimester of pregnancy, obtained from the University farm were used for the experiment. The nine RS in-does were divided into three dietary treatment groups, with each group containing three animals each, replicated thrice in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The first group was the control and was given diets containing only forages (Tl); whereas, the second and third dietary treatment groups contained both forage and concentrate mixtures made up of palm kernel meal (T2) and bambara groundnut offal (T3) respectively. The experiment lasted for 15 weeks. Milk collection started from the 8th day post-colostrum, and the following parameters were obtained: proximate compositions of the dietary treatments; milk constituents including: percent dry matter, moisture, ash, crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber, and nitrogen free extract; and macro minerals including: percent sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Palm kernelmeal supplemented diet showed higher values in milk sodium (74.12 mg/g followed by T3, 70.24 mg/g, whereas, the least value was obtained in the control^ 59.42 mg/g), milk calcium (1.21 mg/g compared to 1.18 in Tl and T3 respectively), and milk magnesium (22.09 mg/g compared to 16.26 and 19.27 mg/g in Tl and T3 respectively). Significant differences, (p<0.05) were observed in the milk ash, lactose, butterfat and crude protein percents. Significant differences (p<0.05) were equally observed in all the milk mineral parameters among, the dietary treatment groups. Concentrate supplementation increased the milk ash content ofT2 (0.865 %) and T3 (0.88 %) above the control (Tl) (0.82%); similar trend was observed in all the milk minerals. The bambara groundnut supplemented diet influenced the milk crude protein (3.78 %) more significantly j(p<0.05) than Tl (3.50 %) and T2 (3.23 %). The palm kernel supplemented diet seemed to have the least influence on milk crude protein and milk lactose content (4.04 A> in T2 compared to 4.35 % and 4.29 % in Tl and T3 respectively). Both T2 and T3 had minimal effect on butterfat, 3.68 % and 3.66 % respectively, -ompared to the control, 3.84 %. The bambara groundnut diet portrayed better esults in terms of its higher influence on crude protein and lactose content compared to the palm kernel meal supplemented diet and is thus, recommended :or further trials