Experimental design.
Eighteen Kiko-cross meat goats (Capra hircus; body weight (BW) = 31.0 ± 1.49 kg)
-were fed three different levels of Crude Protein-containing ground pine bark (Pinus taeda L.)
-to study the effects of Crude protein in ground pine bark upon nutrient digestion and metabolism and upon animal performance.
-The study was conducted at the Caprine Research and Education Center, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL.
-Goat kids, approximately 5 month of age, were stratified by body weight and randomly assigned to the experimental treatments in a completely randomized design with two different periods.
-In the 2nd period, new animals were randomly allocated to the experimental treatment with the same dietary treatments.
-A preliminary period of at least 30 days was allowed for the animals to adjust to each ration before 7 days of fecal collection periods.