Cottonseed cake as a substitute of soybean meal for goat kids

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the intake, apparent nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, and intake behaviour of crossbred Boer goat kids fed with diets contain cottonseed cake. It was utilised 32 crossbred Boer goat kids, with average body weight of 16？±？2？kg, distributed in a completely randomised experimental design, in four experimental diets, with levels of substitution of soybean meal by cottonseed cake, in 0%, 33%, 66% and 100%, respectively. There was no significant effect (p？>？.05) of cottonseed cake levels on the intake of nutritional components, except for ether extract that behaved in a quadratic manner (p？<？.05). The digestibility of the nutritional components and the nitrogen balance were not altered as a function of the levels of cottonseed cake in the diet (p？>？.05). The average daily weight gain and feed conversion were not altered (p？>？.05) by the amounts of cottonseed cake. Rumination efficiency (minutes/kg of NDF) and feeding frequency (number of visits to the trough/24？h) were not altered (p？<？.05) as function of the cottonseed cake levels, however, feeding, rumination, and idleness times, as well as the other feeding efficiency and activities frequency were not influenced. Hence, cottonseed cake can be totally substituted soybean meal in diets for crossbred Boer goat kids in feedlot, once it does not alter the productive performance, intake and digestibility of nutritional components and nitrogen balance of the animals