ABSTRACT
The objective of the study was to investigate milk yield and eating behaviour of crossbred goats, German Improved Fawn × Hair crossbred (GIF) and Saanen × Hair goats (S), in subtropical eastern Mediterranean climate of Turkey during early summer season. Eight GIF and eight S goats were individually housed in 1.5 × 1.5 m pens. Diurnal eating patterns were monitored by a system that recorded meal size and meal length. Milk yield (kg/day) was 1.77 in GIF and 2.0 in S goats, whereas milk production efficiency (kg feed/kg milk) was 1.15 in GIF and 1.07 in S goats. The differences between GIF and S goats in eating behaviour parameters were significant: the S goats had higher meal size and meal length and longer inter-meal interval, meal time, and eating rate within in each meal, but lower number of meals in comparison with GIF goats. German Improved Fawn × Hair crossbred and Saanen × Hair goats have similar lactation performance under good nutritional condition, but their eating behaviours are quite different.
Key Words:
German Fawn; goat; Saanen; milk yield
