# Whole-Plant Rape Silage-Based Diets for Chongming White Goats: An Integrated Assessment of Growth Performance, Meat Quality and Gut Microbiota

## TL;DR

This study shows that feeding Chongming white goats a diet with whole-plant rape silage improves their growth, meat quality, and gut health compared to traditional corn straw silage.

## Contribution

The study introduces whole-plant rape silage, including pod shells, as a novel forage option for goats with positive effects on growth and gut microbiota.

## Key findings

- A 50% substitution of corn straw silage with whole-plant rape silage increased carcass weight and antioxidant capacity in goats.
- The diet reduced bitter amino acids in muscle and promoted intestinal villi proliferation.
- It increased beneficial bacteria involved in carbohydrate and propionic acid metabolism in the gut.

## Abstract

Forage rape (Brassica napus L.) is increasingly becoming a valued forage choice in livestock production. However, research on the application of whole-plant rape silage (including pod shells) in goats remains limited. To evaluate the effects of whole-plant rape silage on goat growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal health, a 90-day feeding trial was performed using 36 healthy 6-month-old Chongming white goats. The goats were fed ad libitum and divided into two groups: a control group (CON, n = 18) fed corn straw silage and a treatment group (TRT, n = 18) fed a diet containing a 1:1 mixture of whole-plant rape silage and corn straw silage. Results showed that a 50% substitution with whole-plant rape silage increased carcass weight (p = 0.005), enhanced total antioxidant capacity (p < 0.01) in plasma, reduced bitter amino acids (such as leucine, isoleucine and phenylalanine; p < 0.05) in muscle, promoted intestinal villi proliferation (p < 0.05), and increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria involved in carbohydrate metabolism (e.g., Family_XIII_AD3011_group; p = 0.028) and propionic acid metabolism (e.g., Phascolarctobacterium; p = 0.026). In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that whole-plant rape silage can serve as a viable alternative to corn straw silage for Chongming white goats.