Licury Cake in Diets for Lactating Goats: Intake, Digestibility, Feeding Behavior, Milk Production and Composition, and Nitrogen Metabolism

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Licury cake is a by-product used to replace conventional ingredients in ruminant diets to reduce production costs. Some studies in sheep and in beef and dairy cattle showed promising results with the inclusion of licury cake in the diets of feedlot ruminants. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the productive performance and metabolic behavior of dairy goats subjected to increasing inclusion levels of licury cake in the diet. Our main results showed that the inclusion of licury cake in the diet did not promote negative effects on the nutrient intake, digestibility, metabolism, and performance of feedlot lactating goats. We additionally observed that, through feeding behavior, the inclusion of licury cake promoted greater efficiency in the intake and rumination of fiber. Moreover, through the metabolism, we found that the inclusion of licury cake promoted higher recycling of nitrogen; however, more studies are needed to elucidate these facts. Our results showed that the inclusion of licury cake of up to 200 g kg(−1) of dry matter in the diets of lactating goats can be recommended without affecting productive performance. ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of licury cake (LC) inclusion in the diets of lactating goats on productive and metabolic performance. Twelve lactating goats, eight Saanen and four Anglo-Nubian, were distributed in a triplicate 4 × 4 Latin square design, with four treatments (0, 66.7, 133.3, and 200 g kg(−1) of dry matter—DM). On the one hand, the LC inclusion increased neutral detergent fiber, indigestible neutral detergent fiber, and potentially digestible neutral detergent fiber (p < 0.001) intake. On the other hand, LC inclusion reduced ether extract and non-fibrous carbohydrate (p < 0.001) intake. There was a reduction in dry matter digestibility (p = 0.018) and an increase in neutral detergent fiber digestibility (p = 0.036). Feeding (p = 0.005) and rumination (p < 0.001) efficiencies increased with LC inclusion. The nitrogen balance was similar for all tested diets; however, we observed recycling metabolism. Based on the studied parameters, mainly milk production and composition, we recommend the LC inclusion of up to 200 g kg(−1) DM in diets for lactating goats.