It was used 27 goat kids (18 ¾ Boer + ¼ Saanen and nine Saanen; 18.0 ± 1.60 kg) distributed in a completely randomized design with factorial arrangement to evaluate productive performance and the total digestibility of dry matter and nutrients in the rations. Diets were composed of soybean meal, soybean meal + dry yeast or dry yeast as protein source, oat hay, ground corn and vitamin-mineral mixture with mean composition of 2.50 Mcal of ME/kg DM and 17.0% of crude protein on average. Digestibility was determined using indigestible neutral detergent fiber as marker. Intakes of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and total carbohydrates were not altered by rations. However, inclusion of dry yeast in the rations reduced ingestions of ether extract, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber. Within breed groups, the ¾ Boer + ¼ Saanen goat kids showed the highest intakes of dry matter and nutrients, as well as the best means of daily gain, feed conversion and days in feedlot. Digestibilities of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and total carbohydrates were higer - and the digesbility of ether extract was lower - for animals fed rations with dry yeast. There were no differences in digestibility of neutral detergent fiber. Rations with dry yeast showed the highest values of total digestible nutrients. Dry yeast can be used as alternative protein source in rations for goat kids because it does not change animal performance and it does have higher nutritional value than soybean meal. ¾ Boer + ¼ Saanen kids show, in feedlots, better performance in growth and finishing phases when compared to Saanen kids.
digestibility; goats; intake; performance; Saccharomyces cerevisiae
