Weaner goats were fed ad libitum for 12 (Phase 1) and then 8 (Phase 2) weeks on diets of about 10.0 MJ ME kg−1 DM, in which sun-dried and ground coffee pulp replaced wheat bran at levels of 0, 20, 40 and 60%. The diets were provided in meal form, with hay forming 25% of total feed offered. Subsequently, the animals were given a pelleted commercial concentrate containing about 12 MJ of ME per kg of DM for 4 weeks. Water was available at all times.
Dry-matter intake decreased with increasing pulp in the diet, although the differences were non-significant (P > 0.05). Control and 20%-pulp goats maintained weight in Phase 1 after consuming 485 g DM or 556 KJ ME kg−0.75 per day and gained 29 g daily when their intake improved to 615 g DM or 690 KJ ME kg−0.75 per day in Phase two. However, pulp included at 20% was uneconomic. At 40%, coffee pulp depressed DM intake by 22% and at best was a maintenance ration. At 60%, coffee pulp was detrimental to animal health.
With the higher energy commercial concentrate, animals previously on the 0 and 20% pulp levels ingested, on average, 553 g DM or 809 KJ ME kg−0.75 per day and gained 54.4 g daily. It was, therefore, recommended to use a cereal grain in order to increase the energetic content of coffee pulp-based diets and improve animal production.