This study was conducted to evaluate the growth performance of goats fed with concentrate feeds with different bypass protein values raised under combined grazing and confinement. Twelve 10-month old female upgraded goats were used in the study. The animals were randomly assigned to four feeding treatments, each of which was replicated three times. The treatments evaluated were: T1 - pure soilage based ration (control), T2 - soilage based ration supplemented with concentrate feed of low bypass protein value (soybean). T3 - soilage based ration supplemented with concentrate feed of medium bypass protein value (corn), and T4 - soilage based ration supplemented with concentrate feed of high bypass protein value (fish meal).

The analysis of covariance technique for Completely Randomized Design was used using the initial weight of the animals as covariate. The Duncan's Multiple Range Test was used in comparing means.

Results of the study revealed that supplementing the soilage ration of goats of concentrate feeds with different bypass protein values significantly influenced the performance of the animals in terms of final weight, final gain in weight, daily gain in weight, weekly growth rate, feed conversion efficiency, amount of soilage at 20% DM content consumed, amount of soilage and bypass protein consumed, amount of bypass protein consumed, and income over feed costs.

Results further revealed that all treatments significantly differed from each other in terms of final weight, final gain in weight, daily gain in weight, weekly growth rate, feed conversion efficiency, and income over feed costs with T4 as the most superior, followed by T3 and T2. The most inferior among the treatments was T1. Results also showed that the amount of bypass protein consumed in the three treatments with feed concentrates (T2. T3. and T4) did not significantly vary with each other.

Thesis (Master of Science - Animal Science)

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