EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTATION OF DRIED CHICORY (CICHORIUM INTYBUS L.) LEAVES IN DIETS ON PERFORMANCE OF DAIRY GOATS

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of inclusion different levels of dried chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) leaves in diets of Balady goat does on nutrients digestibilities, productive performance and some blood parameters, as well as the growth performance of their offspring. Twenty four pregnant lactating Balady goats were chosen at 1 month before parturition and divided randomly into three similar groups (8 each) in a feeding trial, where the first group was served as control (R0) and fed the concentrate feed mixture (CFM) without any supplementation, while the second and third groups (R2 and R3) were fed CFM supplemented with dried chicory leaves (DCL) at rate of 1 and 2%, respectively. The basal diet was formulated from 2.5 CFM of the live body weight (LBW) of goats plus 3kg/d fresh berseem in order to covering the nutritional requirements according to NRC (1989). Results indicated that the digestibility coefficients of most nutrients and feeding values were significantly (P<0.05) higher for R1 that contained 1% DCL followed by R2 that contained 2% DCL than those of un-received one (R0). Actual milk yield was significantly (P<0.05) higher with tested ration R1 and insignificant higher with the tested ration R2 than that of control ration. Otherwise, the yield of 4% FCM was significantly (P<0.05) higher with both tested rations than that of control one, being R1 had the highest yield significantly among the experimental dietary treatments. Most milk constituents (fat, lactose, SNF and ash, %) did not affected by the dietary treatments, while only the contents of milk protein and TS were increased significantly especially with R1 than those of control (R0). Totally milk composition percentages tended to increase with DCL addition in ration R1 than the other tested rations R2 and control R0. There were significant differences in respect of feed intake among dietary treatments, where the values of DMI, TDNI and DCPI were higher in R1 and R2 compared with those of control one. The feed conversion ratio was appeared to be the best with R1 while, the poorest value was occurred with R0 and the tested ration R2 had the intermediate value. Kids in R1 ration showed the highest LBW and total weight gain at each age intervals as compared to other groups, being the lowest values were associated with R0, with no significant differences among the experimental treatments. Therefore, the results indicated that using DCL as herbal additives in the dairy goat diets at level 1% led to an improvement for nutrient digestibilities, productive performance and physiological functions of these animals.