RUMEN MANIPULATION: COMPARISON OF MICROBIAL DYNAMICS AND FORAGE INTAKE OF DEFAUNATED VERSUS NORMALLY FAUNATED GOATS (Capra hircus L.) WITH OR WITHOUT PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTATION

Abstract

Feed efficiency can be improved by changing diet composition though probiotic supplementation and changing key microbial groups through defaunation. This study assessed probiotic supplementation as a way of optimizing rumen defaunation in goats fed low-quality forage. The following treatments were compared in this study: T1 (intact without probiotic supplementation), T2 (intact with probiotic supplementation), T3 (defaunated without probiotic supplementation), and T4 (defaunated with probiotic supplementation). Six out of the twelve animals were defaunated using ipil-ipil (Leucaena leucocephala) fed for 9 days; the other 6 were fed Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) alone. After defaunation, three of the defaunated goats were given probiotic supplement while the other three were not. The same was done to faunated goats. Probiotic supplementation to defaunated goats was successful in increasing protozoal counts (P<0.01) and bacterial counts (P<0.01) as well as stabilizing the pH (P<0.01) of these animals fed low-quality forage. Probiotic supplementation is recommended as a technique to combat the negative effects of defaunation on microbial counts and pH in animals fed low-quality forage.