Fontes lipídicas na gestão estratégica de redução de custos com alimentação de cabras leiteiras.

Abstract

Animal feed is crucial for dairy production and represents a significant part of production costs. The objective was to evaluate lipid sources, as a strategy to reduce feed costs, whether or not associated with Spineless cactus in goat milk production. For the study, 12 lactating Saanen goats were used, with an average body weight of 55 ± 8 kg, distributed in a 4x4 Latin square, with a 2x2 factorial arrangement. The treatments consisted of two lipid sources, Coconut fruit pulp by-product (PC) and whole cottonseed (CA), associated or not with Orelha de Elefante Mexicana (POEM), in the following proportions: PC - 5% Coconut fruit pulp by-product; PC+POEM - 5% Coconut fruit pulp by-product + 25% POEM; CA – 20% whole cottonseed; CA+POEMA - 20% whole cottonseed + 25% POEMA. Animals that consumed diets that had whole cottonseed as the main source of energy showed higher performance indices (P<0.05). The PC+POEM treatment presented the lowest cost for 1 kg of dry matter (R$ 1.78). The PC diet demonstrated lower daily food costs (R$ 2.54). Total income was higher for the CA + POEM diet (R$ 8.17), as was net income (R$ 4.19). Therefore, it is recommended to combine whole cottonseed with forage palm Orelha de Elefante Mexicana, in the feeding of lactating goats, due to the reduction in feed costs, especially in roughage and better performance, contributing to greater profitability of the activity.