The use of Milk Thistle in the diet of goats and its effect on digestion of fiber and protein

Whole Milk Thistle plant grows in wide regions of Iran, and regardless to its medicinal properties, it used as a feed by local grazers such as sheep, goat, cattle, buffalo and camel. This experiment was conducted to investigate the possibility of using Milk Thistle in diet of goats and its effect on fermentation and digestion of dietary fiber (wheat straw) and protein (soybean meal) when fed with diets containing barley or corn. The experimental diets were included adding 20% Milk Thistle to barley or corn diets. In this experiment, native male goats from Cashmere goat of southern Khorasan or Birjandi strain (35±1.22 kg BW) were used. Dry matter intake (DMI), digestibility, rumen pH and ammonia nitrogen and blood urea nitrogen and glucose were measured. In vitro gas production parameters and digestibility of wheat straw and soybean meal incubated with rumen of animals fed with Milk Thistle also measured. In both barley and corn diets, DMI, ruminal ammonia nitrogen and pH, blood glucose and urea nitrogen significantly decreased compared with control (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between corn and barley diets. The digestibility of nutrients was not affected by the presence of Milk Thistle in diets. Gas production of wheat straw and soybean meal in barley diet was more than corn diet (P<0.05). The results revealed that the using 200 g kg-1 Milk Thistle in diet of goats had no negative effect on health, digestion, and there was no difference between the diets containing corn or barley.