Partially substituting alfalfa hay with hemp forage in the diet of goats improved feed efficiency, ruminal fermentation pattern and microbial profiles

Abstract The use of hemp as a forage source in livestock diets has been less studied because bioactive residues in animal tissues may pose a risk to consumers. This study investigated the effects of partial substitution of alfalfa hay (AH) with hemp forage (HF) in growing goat diets on growth performance, carcass traits, ruminal fermentation characteristics, rumen microbial communities, blood biochemistry, and antioxidant indices. Forty Xiangdong black goats with body weight (BW) 7.82 ± 0.57 kg (mean ± SD) were