Changes in Rumen Characteristics and Fecal Consistency of Crossbred Buck Kids Fed Goat, Cattle, Buffalo Milk, Milk Replacer, and Soybean-Goat Milk

Figure Ilustration AI

FORMOSA NEWS - Timor Leste - Cattle Milk and Commercial Replacers Offer Cost-Effective Alternatives for Rumen Development in Young Goats. In an animal nutrition study published in September 2026, researchers Armando B. M. Afonso from the National University of Timor Lorosa'e, alongside Cesar C. Sevilla, Amado A. Angeles, Jose A. N. Bautista, and Josefina T. Dizon from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, evaluated how five distinct liquid diets impact rumen structural development and digestive health in young crossbred buck kids. The field experiment, conducted from March to October 2017, investigated the physiological effects of feeding newborn male goats whole goat milk, cattle milk, buffalo milk, a commercial milk replacer, or a 50% soybean and 50% goat milk blend. The findings demonstrate that livestock producers can substitute expensive whole goat milk with cattle milk or commercial milk replacers to achieve normal gut maturation and growth without causing digestive tissue damage, significantly reducing rearing costs while freeing up valuable goat milk for commercial sale.

Economic Challenges and Rumen Maturation

Goat farming serves as a vital source of meat, milk, and income security for rural agricultural communities worldwide. However, rearing newborn kids on whole goat milk limits the volume of milk available for commercial sale, creating economic pressure on dairy goat operations. Newborn ruminants are born with an immature, non-functional rumen and rely entirely on liquid milk during early life. As kids mature, the rumen wall must develop finger-like projections called papillae. These structures expand the internal surface area needed to absorb volatile fatty acids produced during solid feed fermentation. Developing sustainable, affordable alternative liquid feeding strategies is essential to optimize livestock profitability while supporting early anatomical adaptation.

Research Methodology
The researchers conducted a controlled, completely randomized experiment involving 30 newborn male crossbred kids housed in individual elevated pens at the Institute of Animal Science, University of the Philippines Los Baños. After receiving maternal colostrum for four days, the kids were assigned to five equal treatment groups of six animals each:

• Whole Goat Milk: Fresh liquid goat milk.
  
• Whole Cattle Milk: Fresh liquid cattle milk.
  
• Whole Buffalo Milk: Fresh liquid buffalo milk.
  
• Commercial Milk Replacer: Reconstituted powder (145 grams per liter of water).
  
• Soybean-Goat Milk Blend: A 50% soybean milk and 50% goat milk combination.
  

The liquid diets were administered twice daily at 10% of body weight for 68 pre-weaning days, with solid starter concentrate and fresh grass introduced on day 15. Following weaning, the kids transitioned to a uniform post-weaning diet consisting of 20% concentrate and 80% para grass up to 128 days of age. The research team evaluated body weight gains, feed intake, macroscopic rumen development, microscopic papillae dimensions, and daily fecal consistency. Rumen tissue samples were collected from the ventral sac at the end of both pre-weaning and post-weaning stages for detailed histological analysis.

Key Research Findings
Empirical measurements revealed distinct structural and digestive adaptations across the different liquid feed sources:

• Pre-Weaning Papillae Growth: Whole buffalo milk stimulated the highest papillae density at 142 papillae per square centimeter ($142/\text{cm}^2$) and the highest pre-weaning absorption surface area ($287.04\text{ mm}^2/\text{cm}^2$). Whole goat milk generated the longest initial papillae length ($1.06\text{ mm}$) and supported the highest feed intake. Commercial milk replacer promoted the largest papillae circumference ($2.00\text{ mm}$) and cross-sectional area ($0.64\text{ mm}^2$).
  
• Post-Weaning Papillae Extension: Following the transition to solid feed, kids previously fed cattle milk exhibited superior papillae elongation, reaching a significantly longer average length of $2.35\text{ mm}$ compared to $1.43\text{ mm}$ to $1.51\text{ mm}$ in other treatment groups. Cattle milk also yielded the highest overall post-weaning absorption surface area ($545.64\text{ mm}^2/\text{cm}^2$).
  
• Epithelial Tissue Safety: Histological examination confirmed that all five liquid feeding regimes supported normal, healthy epithelial tissue growth with no apparent lesions or structural abnormalities.
  
• Digestive Adaptation and Fecal Response: Animals across all groups experienced temporary watery feces during the initial two-week adaptation period before stabilizing. However, kids fed the soybean-goat milk blend suffered higher rates of watery feces and a slower digestive recovery, indicating lower gastrointestinal tolerance to plant-based proteins in young kids.
  

Real-World Impact and Industry Application
These findings offer actionable economic and operational guidance for dairy goat farmers and livestock businesses. By proving that cattle milk and commercial milk replacers sustain healthy rumen maturation, the study provides producers with validated alternatives to expensive whole goat milk. Replacing goat milk in kid-rearing programs enables farms to redirect high-value goat milk to human consumption and commercial markets, raising overall farm income without compromising animal growth or gut health. Conversely, the slower digestive adaptation observed in soybean-fed kids highlights the need for cautious management or improved processing when utilizing plant-based milk substitutes in young ruminant diets.

Author Profile

Armando B. M. Afonso, S.Pt., M.Si. (Lead Author): Lecturer and researcher at the National University of Timor Lorosa'e, Dili, Timor-Leste, with expertise in the nutrition and digestive physiology of ruminant livestock.

Prof. Dr. Cesar C. Sevilla: Professor at the Institute of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Food Science, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Philippines, an expert in livestock nutrition and metabolism.

Dr. Amado A. Angeles: Academic and researcher at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), an expert in dairy production management and the nutrition of young ruminants.

Dr. Jose A. N. Bautista: Researcher and faculty member at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), specializing in livestock reproductive physiology and production.

Dr. Josefina T. Dizon: Researcher at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), with expertise in animal science and the development of sustainable livestock production systems.

Source
Armando B. M. Afonso, Cesar C. Sevilla, Amado A. Angeles, Jose A. N. Bautista, Josefina T. Dizon. Changes in Rumen Characteristics and Fecal Consistency of Crossbred Buck Kids Fed Goat, Cattle, Buffalo Milk, Milk Replacer, and Soybean-Goat Milk. Formosa Journal of Applied Sciences (FJAS). Volume 5, Nomor 9, Halaman 1997-2016)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/fjas.v5i9.127
Tautan Resmi: https://journalfjas.my.id/index.php/fjas