FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF GOAT MILK PRODUCED UNDER WITH DIFFERENT FEEDING REGIMES AND THE IMPACT ON GOAT CHEESE

Ruminants and their great ability to live and produce on a diet rich in fibre have a great potential to contribute to a healthy and sustainable human nutrition (Hofmann 1989). Sadly, only in times of rising energy prices the following question is asked: How much food can we afford to feed to animals? Taking this aspect into account it is necessary to do as much research as possible on the topic of “Feed no Food” in ruminants’ nutrition. The Thuenen-Institute of Organic Farming in Trenthorst, Germany, has started 2009 the project “Feed less Food” with the dairy goats on the organic experimental station in Trenthorst, Holstein, Northern Germany. The main questions where the impact of reduced concentrate feed on animal welfare, milk yield and milk / milk product quality. In 2012, the main focus was laid on lactation performance and quality traits, defined as the occurrence of essential, to humans’ health contributing fatty acids. Goat milk and its products can contribute to a healthy human nutrition. Yet, we know relatively little about feedstuffs, influencing goat milk yield and its composition. “Feed no Food” is one of the major fields of research of the Thuenen-Institute of Organic Farming (TI) in Trenthorst, Germany. In 2012 two feeding groups were formed and dairy goats received either an estimated 10% or 40% of the total feed intake as concentrates (KF 10 and KF 40). Goats of KF 40 showed a significantly higher 240-day performance (P < 0.05) for the following traits: milk kg, fat kg and protein kg. No significant difference between groups was found for fat and protein content. Furthermore, no significant difference occurred in fatty acid pattern of milk. Short and medium chain fatty acids turned out to be significantly increased in cheese from KF 40. Long chain and polyunsaturated fatty acids occurred significantly more in cheese from goats of KF 10, as well as rumenic acid (CLA) and Ω-3 fatty acids. Ratio of Ω-6:Ω-3 proved to be significantly lower in cheese from KF 10. No significant differences between groups were detected for mean live weights.