Energy balance in lactating goats: Response to mixture of conjugated linoleic acid.

The objective of this study was to determine the energy balance in early lactating local goats when supplemented with conjugated linoleic acid. Fifteen local goats from the north-east of Mexico were used. Three treatments were evaluated: (a) Control (Base diet); (b) CLA 50 g; and (c) CLA 90 g. The CLA was a mixture of micro-encapsulated FA, which supplied c9, t11 and t10, c12. Goats had an adaptation period of 2 weeks and 7 experimental weeks. The variables evaluated were body weight, DMI, milk yield, and fat, protein, and lactose yield, FA milk profile, and energy balance. The analysis of the data was analyzed as repeated measures using the PROC MIXED procedure and Tukey test (p < .05). In milk of goats from the treatment 90 g of the isomer t10, c12 CLA (p < .05) the milk fat content and milk fat yield with respect to the control treatment were reduced and the energy balance was improved. In goats treated with 11 g of t10, c12 CLA increased (p < .05) milk yield and milk lactose content. These results suggest that energy not used to synthesize dairy fat was used to increase milk yield and improve energy balance.