Abstract

Background:
Feed availability in tropical regions fluctuates between rainy and dry seasons and is a major constraint on goat productivity. While forage is abundant during the rainy season, dry-season shortages often result in inadequate nutrient intake, reduced growth, and increased mortality. Complete silage technology offers a practical solution due to its balanced nutrient composition, long storage life, and ability to ensure year-round feed availability. However, exclusive feeding of complete silage has not consistently produced optimal performance, likely due to nutrient degradation during fermentation. Supplementation with protein sources and readily soluble carbohydrates is therefore necessary to improve nutrient availability and animal performance.

Aim:
This study evaluated the effects of protein and readily soluble carbohydrate supplementation on the productivity of Kacang goats fed complete silage.

Methods:
A randomized complete block design was used with 15 Kacang goats allocated to three dietary treatments and five replications. The treatments consisted of T1 (70% complete silage + 30% supplementation of protein sources and readily soluble carbohydrates), T2 (50% complete silage + 50% supplementation), and T3 (30% complete silage + 70% supplementation).

Results:
Results of ANOVA showed that dietary treatments did not significantly affect (P>0.05) intake of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, crude fat, carbohydrates, nitrogen-free extract, gross energy, or metabolizable energy. However, ash intake (P

Key words: Complete silage; Fattening; Kacang goats; Performance; Protein–carbohydrate supplementation.