%0 Journal Article %A Hayati, Sahereh %A Valizadeh, Reza %A Naserian, Abbas Ali %A Tahmasbi, Abdolmansour %A Moosaee, Amir %T The Effect of Dietary Barley Grain Substitution with Hydroponic Barley Grass on Milk Yield and Some Blood Metabolites of Saanen Lactating Goats %J Research on Animal Production %V 9 %N 19 %U http://rap.sanru.ac.ir/article-1-735-en.html %R 10.29252/rap.9.19.32 %D 2018 %K Barley Hydroponic Fodder, Economical Estimation, Milk Yield, Saanen Goat, %X An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacement of barley grain with barley hydroponic fodder on blood metabolites and milk production of lactating Saanen goats. Eight dairy goats (45± 1.5 kg of live body weight and 3 months of lactation (88±6 days in milk)) were allocated to 4 experimental diets including the control diet and diets consisting of 37, 66 and 100 percent replacement of barley grain with barley hydroponic fodder, respectively. Animals were assigned to treatments in a cross over design with 4 periods of 21 days each. The barley hydroponic fodder contained 16% dry matter, 15.6% crude protein, 3.8% ash, 31.4% NDF and 16% ADF. Impact of dietary treatments on milk production, rumen and blood parameters were investigated. Feeding barley hydroponic fodder reduced dry matter intake of dairy goats (P < 0.05). The pH of rumen fluid increased in animals fed diets with 100% barley fodder in comparison with diet containing 37 and 66 % of barley fodder (P < 0.05), while rumen NH3-N was not differed among treatments. Blood cholesterol and total protein concentrations increased in goats fed barley hydroponic fodder (P < 0.05). Animals in 66% of replacement group produced more milk than 37% replacement of barley grain with hydroponic fodder (P < 0.05). However, milk composition was not affected by the experimental treatments. The cost of purchasing barley hydroponic fodder was 2.5 times more than barley grain. By considering the effects of barley hydroponic fodder versus grain on performance and higher cost of fodder, it was concluded that using barley hydroponic fodder in replacement of barley grain in the diet of dairy goats is not cost-effective and profitable. %> http://rap.sanru.ac.ir/article-1-735-en.pdf %P 32-38 %& 32 %! %9 Research %L A-10-890-1 %+ %G eng %@ 2251-8622 %[ 2018