Impact of different feeding strategies on welfare, milk yield and productive performance in Egyptian dairy sheep and goat

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to see if feed intake, chewing activity, and milk yield in fattening and dairy small ruminants were affected by two types of the feeding system depending on maize silage and rice straw were part of the study design. The supplement's effect on the behavior of small ruminants. Total chewing behavior, sleeping frequency and duration (min), grooming and walking, and production performance were greater (p< 0.01) in small ruminants fed on maize silage than in rice straw, while on other hand total effective time per minute of chewing behavior, jaw movement and laying frequency higher significantly increased in small ruminant fed on rice straw than fed on maize silage (p< 0.05, p< 0.01). Productions characteristics on lambs and kids were significantly higher in kids and lambs from mothers fed on maize silage than mothers fed on rice straw, while age at weaning per day with longer age in kids and lambs fed on rice straw than maize silage. No significant difference in milk yield per kg per day, milk fat, and protein per 100 gm of milk in goat and sheep fed on maize silage and rice straw.