The objective with this study was to evaluate the effect of including dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) as a replacement for soybean meal on feed intake, digestibility, and total digestible nutrients (TDN), as well as plasmatic glucose and serum urea concentrations. Fifteen Saanen goats were distributed in a completely randomized design with three treatments and five replicates. Treatments were soybean meal (SBM), SBM+DDGS (12.28% of dry matter [DM]), and DDGS (23.16% of DM), as protein source in diets, common to all corn ground and mineral-vitamin supplement, and corn silage (60% of DM). Response variables were evaluated every 30 d, from 1 to 120 d after parturition. Measurements included body weight, DM intake, DM and nutrient digestibility, and blood samples. Indigestible neutral detergent fiber was used to estimate fecal excretion. There was a difference in neutral detergent fiber intake from 1 to 30 d after parturition. In the four phases of lactation evaluated, there were treatment effects on DM, organic matter, ether extract, and total carbohydrate digestibility, as well as on TDN concentration. Neutral detergent fiber digestibility was affected by treatments, except from d 61 to 90. There was no treatment effect on non-fibrous carbohydrate digestibility, regardless of period. Therefore, SBM+DDGS (12.28% of DM), as protein source on diets may be used in Saanen goat diets from 1 to 120 d of lactation without negative effects on feed intake, digestibility, and plasma glucose and urea concentrations.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii) on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the shoulder and loin of Boer x Saanen crossbred goat kids. Twenty-seven carcasses were used, 13 females and 14 uncastrated males with an average age of 192 days, weighing 30.76 kg, distributed in a completely randomised design using a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement (diet and sex). The yeast was added to the feed before pelletising in a proportion of 0.050 g/kg dry matter (DM). When the goats reached an average of 30 kg of live weight, they were slaughtered. No effects of live yeast on quantitative carcass and qualitative characteristics of shoulder and loin were observed. Regarding sex, males had higher slaughter weights (31.73 kg), empty carcass weight (27.98 kg), hot carcass weight (14.39 kg), cold carcass weight (14.22 kg), higher carcass compactness index (0.28 kg/cm), lower slaughter age (176 days) and lower cooling loss (1.20%). For the cut yields, females presented a higher loin yield (11.55%) and males presented a higher neck yield (6.84%). In the shoulder, males presented a higher proportion of bone (18.58%), while females presented a higher proportion of fat (17.09%) and muscle:bone (3.47). In the loin, females showed higher fat deposition (19.54%) in relation to males. The inclusion of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii in the crossbred goat kids’ diet did not generate differences in the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the shoulder and loin.