Articles

The goats form a large portion of livestock industry in Pakistan due to their capacity to effectively use fibrous and low-quality feeddstuffs. Nevertheless, the low digestibility and lignin levels in traditional forages still limit productivity of majority of production systems. Sources of non-forage fiber (NFFS) especially soybean hulls and beet pulp are highly fermentable and palatable substitutes that stabilize rumen functionality as well as provide a stable supply of nutrients. These ingredients in combination with exogenous fibrolytic enzymes can enhance the degradation of cellulose and hemicellulose and improve intake, growth performance, digestibility and feed efficiency. NFFS is also useful in promoting sustainable feeding systems through less reliance on cereal grains and the utilization of agro-industrial by-products. This is a synthesis of existing data on nutritional value of NFFS and fibrolytic enzymes in goat diets in terms of their impact on digestibility, rumen health, growth performance, and production efficiency at Pakistani production conditions.