The effect of biofloc produced from a fish farming system on nutrients digestibility, rumen fermentation, feeding behavior, and blood parameters of Najdi goats

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of biofloc produced from a fish pond on digestibility, rumen fermentation, rumination activity, and blood parameters of Najdi goats. At the first, 200 common carp fish (1.00 g) in two water tanks were used for producing biofloc. Then, 12 goats (average body weight of 32.00 ± 1.50 kg aging eight months) were assigned through a completely randomized design to two treatments (six replicates) and fed for one month. The treatments were comprised of a control diet and a trial diet containing 1.50% biofloc. At the end of the experiment, digestibility of nutrients, rumen fermentation, blood metabolites, and rumination activity were measured. The results showed that the digestibility of dry matter (DM), crude protein, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) significantly increased in goats fed with 1.50% biofloc. Also, the rumen protozoa population, plasma glucose, average time of eating, rumination, and chewing per NDF and ADF intakes, total rumination time, and chewing activity were significantly increased. There was no significant difference between treatments for DM intake, ruminal ammonia nitrogen, blood urea nitrogen, cholesterol, and triglyceride. The pH of rumen fluid significantly decreased in treatment containing biofloc. The results of the current study confessed that the use of biofloc (1.50% DM) as a supplement in Najdi goat’s diet can improve the digestibility of the diet. It is recommended further and detailed trials with different levels of biofloc in sheep or different livestock species to know more about this untapped supplement source.