Small Ruminants in the Humid Tropics of Asia

http://www.mekarn.org/procpsu/liem.htm

Goat production in southeastern Viet Nam 

Duong Thanh Liem, Nguyen van Hao
 and Ngo van Man

University of Agriculture and Forestry,
Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam  

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of dairy goat production and development in southeastern Vietnam. Some results of the current studies on dairy goats are reviewed.

Key words: Goats, dairy, development 

Introduction

Goat production in Viet Nam is still relatively undeveloped with the total herd at around 600 thousand head (Table 1). Almost all these goats are raised for meat and are located in the uplands, dry zones and mountainous areas with the most common feeing system being free grazing on land not used for crop production. The poor farmers in rural areas are those usually involved with the goat production. No wonder the goat is called “a poor man’s cow”. In the peri-urban areas, milking goats are usually raised in a zero-grazing (cut and carry) system. The animals are completely confined in their assigned pen, and grass and other green feeds are cut and carried to the pen. The price of goat milk is four or five times higher than for cow’s milk. In this condition, the goat is called “ a rich man’s cow”.

Goat  population and trends  

 The data show that of the livestock species in Viet Nam, the goat population exhibits a relatively slow annual growth rate from 1990 to 2000. The common problem encountered by goat farmers is over-grazing and competition with crop land, thus there is a lack of feed especially during the dry months.                                                             

Preliminary results on crossbreeding

Breed is one of the most importance factors affecting productivity. In the past, most goats commonly raised  in  Vietnam were of the indigenous breed. These animals are small in size and are well adapted to poor nutrition and management. In a harsh environment, with poor vegetation and bare soil, indigenous goats can perform better than other breeds. During the French colonial period, two goat breeds are believed to have been introduced to Viet Nam. These were the Bach Thao originating in India and Saanen from France. From 1995 onwards, exotic breeds of goat such as  Barbari, Beetal, Jamnapari, Alpine, Saanen, Anglo Nubian, among others, were imported from India, France and the Philippines to upgrade the local stocks. Most of the crossbred animals (Exotic*Bach Thao) had higher milk yields and growth  rates compared with the local Bach Thao (Table 2). .

 

Dairy goats and feeding systems

Production of dairy goats is a recent development, which is steadily increasing in importance as goat milk is appreciated as a valuable food for children and old people. Production of goat cheese, which is a high value product, has had a good impact in villages close to Hanoi in North Vietnam (Dinh Van Binh et al 2000).

In the peri-urban area of Ho Chi Minh city, it is common practice to use feeds formulated for pigs as the concentrate supplement. Finding local feed resources that can be used to formulate concentrates for goats would help to lower feed costs and improve the profits for small-scale farmers.

Cassava is the main cash crop of the small-scale farmers that cultivate the sandy, acid soil of the South Eastern and Central regions of Vietnam (>200,000 ha according to the Vietnam Statistic report 1995). The cassava leaves, the residue after harvesting the roots, account for between 2500 and 3000 kg/ha, from which 600 to 800 kg leaf meal per hectare can be produced (Liem1997). However, this resource is little used  in practice.

Other good protein sources are cottonseed, coconut and rubberseed meal. Rubber is planted on a surface of about 211,400 ha (1999 Vietnam statistic report). The yield of seed is around 250-300 kg per hectare/year (1978 Vietnam Rubber Company) and most is being wasted. Cotton is a relatively new crop in Vietnam, introduced after the war and now grown widely on the red soil of the South Eastern region. The by-product after extracting the oil is the cottonseed cake. This is a good resource, as a high protein feed for ruminants, especially for milking and growing goats. Cottonseed cake is a new product in the market in Vietnam. Previously, it was used as a source of fertilizer with a low price. These by-product meals have levels of 20 to 30% of crude protein, and could be used to replace part of the protein supplement in the ration of milking goats. 

The following experiments were carried out to evaluate cassava leaf meal, cottonseed meal and rubber seed meal as substitutes for groundnut meal, soya bean meal and coconut cake, which are the conventional protein sources in concentrate feeds for goat production. 

Cottonseed meal  and cassava leaf meal  as protein supplements for lactating goats

The experiment was carried out in the goat farm of the University of Agriculture and Forestry, with six crossbred milking does (Anglo Nubian*Bach Thao) in their third and fourth lactation. The kidding period lasted from the end of December to the beginning of January, 1999 and the trial was conducted at 8 to15 weeks post partum, beginning on 28 February, 1999.

The treatments, arranged in a double 3 x 3 Latin square design, were:

• Coconut meal (control),

• Cottonseed cake (CSC)

• Cassava leaf meal (CLM)

Experimental periods were 16 days, with an adaptation period of 8 days preceding a recording period of 8 days. The composition and analysis of the concentrates is in Table 3. 

Feed intake

There were no differences in feed intake among the treatments (Table 4) which were close to the recommended norms for lactating goats (Jarrige 1989). 

Milk yield and composition

 There were no differences between the concentrate supplements in yield or in composition of the milk (Table 5).These findings, which show that cassava leaf meal is as good a protein source as cottonseed cake for lactating goats, are supported by a number of reports in the literature indicating “bypass” or “escape” properties for the protein in cassava leaves (Ffoulkes and Preston 1978; Garcia and Herrera 1998).

Rubber seed meal as protein supplement for lactating goats

The experiment was carried out in the goat farm of the UAF with six crossbred milking does (Anglo Nubian*Bach Thai) in their third and fourth lactation. The treatments arranged in a double 3*3 Latin square design were:

• GM: Groundnut meal

• SBM: Soyabean meal

• RSC: Rubber seed cake.

Experimental periods were 16 days, with an adaptation period of 8 days preceding a recording period of 8 days. The composition and analysis of the concentrates is in Table 6.  

Milk yield and composition

 The results in Table 7 show that the milk yield on Rubber seed cake tended to be lower than on other treatments. There were no significant differences in yield or in composition of the milk. It is possible therefore to replace up to 100% of the Ground nut meal or Soybean meal by Rubber seed cake.

Economic analysis

 The results given in Table 8 indicate that when up to 100% of Rubber seed cake was replaced by Ground nut cake or Soyabeen meal, the feed cost decrease .The net profit/ Kg of milk is higher than other treatments. 

Effect of Ground nut meal (GNM), Soyabean meal (SBM) or cottonseed cake (CSC) on milk yield of Anglo Nubian goat 

The experiment was carried out in the goat farm of the UAF with six crossbred milking does (Anglo Nubian)  in their third and fourth lactation. The treatments were: (GNM) Groundnut meal; (SBM) Soyabean meal; (RSC) Rubber seed cake arranged in a double 3 x 3 Latin square design. Experimental periods were 16 days, with an adaptation period of 8 days preceding a recording period of 8 days. The composition and analysis of the concentrates is in Table 9. 

 

Milk yield and composition

 The results in Table 10 show that there were no significant differences in yield or in composition of the milk. It is possible to replace up to 50% of the Ground nut meal  by Cotton seed cake or Soybean meal cake.

Economic analysis

The results given in Table 11 indicate that the net profit/ kg of milk from feeding cotton seed cake is higher than on other treatments.

References

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