Impact of Supplementation of Probiotic or Prebiotic in the diet on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and rumen parameters of Iraqi goats’ kids

This study was conducted to assess the effects of probiotic or prebiotic dietary supplements on the nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation characteristics and productive performance of local Iraqi goat kids. A concentrate feed mixture (CFM) and alfalfa hay were provided to the kids in the control group. Kids in T1 and T2 groups received CFM supplemented with probiotics or prebiotics at a rate of 3 g/head/day, respectively. Fifteen males’ Iraqi local kids aged three months and weighed 16.22 kg ± 2.3 were used. The kids were randomly assigned into the three nutritional groups. Kids fed probiotics show superiority to those in the control group in their final body weight, total gain, average daily gain, total feed intake and feed conversion ratio (5.84 vs 6.65 kg/ kg). The group that received probiotic supplements had the highest Dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, crude fiber, and ether extract digestibility. pH, total VFA and propionate% increased with the addition of probiotics or prebiotics compared to the control group. Whereas, the control group recorded the highest acetate% followed by the probiotics (63.27%) and prebiotics group (64.26%). The total bacterial count of the probiotics group was higher than that of the prebiotics or a control group. Feeding growing kids rations supplemented with probiotics or prebiotics at a rate of 3 g/head/day has a positive impact on the growth performance, rumen parameters, digestibility coefficients, and rumen microbes of Iraqi goats.