The effect of medicated and non-medicated Urea molasses multi-nutrient block supplementation on milk quality of saanen crossbred goats

Dairy goat production in Malaysia is a small livestock sector. The inflated cost of feed hits most of small-scale farmers resulting in difficulty to provide feed in sufficient quantities and with adequate nutrients throughout the year. The use of urea molasses multi-nutrient mineral block (UMMB) or medicated urea molasses multi-nutrient mineral block (MUMB) licks have been recommended by animal nutritionists to cater to the insufficient nutrients of daily feed given. Therefore, the present study aims to determine UMMB and MUMB supplementations’ effect by utilising the local agriculture by-products on milk composition and milk quality of Saanen goat milk. A feed trial was conducted at a dairy goat farm in Felda Kemahang, Tanah Merah, Kelantan for 90 days feeding trial. Twenty four (24) Saanen lactating does (average milk yield < 1 litre/d) are randomly assigned to three groups with eight (8) goats in each group; T1 or control: animals fed on a basal diet which consisted of 3 kg Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) and 1 kg commercial goat pellet (T1 group). Animals in T2 and T3 received equal amounts of basal diet with supplementation of UMMB and MUMB respectively. Individual milk production was recorded daily during feeding trial and milk samples were collected every two weeks for the analyses of protein, fat, lactose, total solids, density, freezing point, pH and temperature using EKOmilk analyser; analyses of mineral content using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry; analyses of milk fatty acid using Gas-Chromatography (Flame Ionized Detector); analysis of milk plate count using serial dilution method; and analysis of milk somatic cell count using FossomaticTM FC machine. T2 has the highest milk yield at 1417.10±32.00 ml/d. However, there is no significant difference (p>0.05) between the three groups on milk composition in term of temperature, milk density, protein and freezing point. Meanwhile, the composition of potassium and manganese in milk in all groups were at the optimum level with (1844.45±0.55 mg/kg), (1471.6±1 mg/kg) and (1517.05±4.95 mg/kg) as well as (0.03±0 mg/kg), (0.025±0.005 mg/kg) and (0.075±0.005 mg/kg) respectively. Other than that, fatty acid content was different among groups. However, it was suggested that the fatty acid content was not influenced by feeding diet but maybe due to other factors like lactation stage as there were variations even before the supplementation. Total bacteria and milk somatic cell counts, however, were also not affected by different UMMB and MUMB supplementations. In a nutshell, UMMB can increase milk yield without affecting milk composition and quality. This shows that the milk produced does not have added risk when drunk.