Effect of Cephalaria joppensis hay on dairy goat milk production and milk components

The livestock industry in Israel accounts for about 40% of all agricultural production. Feeding livestock requires about 85,000 ha of fodder crop annually, with wheat for silage and hay constituting over 70% of the cultivated area in the country. Thus, the diversification of fodder crops with, for example, Cephalaria joppensis, is essential for sustainable agriculture. We evaluated the use of C. joppensis hay as a partial substitute for alfalfa hay in the diet of dairy goats, replacing 40% of the alfalfa. The experimental results show that substituting a portion of the alfalfa hay with C. joppensis hay in the total mixed ration does not significantly affect the dairy goats’ feed consumption or milk yield. Therefore, C. joppensis hay can be successfully integrated into the diet of dairy goats alongside alfalfa, contributing to greater diversity in the fodder crop cycle.