CONDUCT OF GOATS (Capra aegagrus hircus) STABULATED IN FOODED CORRALS WITH NUTRITIONAL BLOCKS PREPARED WITH PULP OF MANGO

Abstract

The production of goats in the tropics requires nutritional supplementation and the use of nutritional blocks (NB) made with local raw materials, such as mango. The objectives of the present study were to determine the NB consumption and to evaluate the consumption behavior of goats by replacing sugarcane molasses with mango pulp. The cane molasses were replaced at 0, 10, 20 and 30% by mango pulp in the elaboration of NB. NB consumption and hay of pangola grass were measured in four goats of the Bóer race and four creoles. The goats were fed with 1 kg of pangola grass and 1 kg of a NB each day. The variables were analyzed with a 4x4 Latin square repeat design. Behavior of the goats was obtained using a sweep sampling for 96 consecutive hours recording the behavior every 15 min. The frequencies of behaviors were analyzed using the Friedman test and behavior by type of NB with the Kruskal-Wallis test. Goats did not present differences (p>0.05) in hay consumption of pangola grass and NB. NB consumption averaged 689 g d^-1. Goats were observed mainly defecating, paws, urinating and balding, but without differences between behaviors (p>0.05). Goats presented higher behavior using NB than forage (p?0.05). Goats showed no difference (p>0.05) in their behavior by type of NB offered. Under these conditions. It is concluded that the partial or total substitution of sugarcane molasses for mango pulp does not affect the palatability of the block or the food consumption of the goats. Likewise, it does not modify the activities of the goats and their frequency.