Influence of breed, age, and diet on the nutritional quality of goat milk

Abstract

The emerging Nicaraguan market for goat products, particularly milk, has gained relevance in recent years, yet its quality remains limited by inadequate management practices. Assessing nutritional parameters and their relationship with factors such as breed, age, and diet is crucial to improving quality. Milk samples were analyzed from Anglo-Nubian goats (22 months old) and Toggenburg goats (18 months old), fed different diets. Results showed: pH of 6.4 and 6.6 (Anglo-Nubian) versus 7.2 and 7.0 (Toggenburg); lactic acidity of 16.9 and 16.3 °D compared to 15.3 and 15.4 °D; density of 0.9989 g/mL and 1.009 g/mL; total solids of 10.1% in both breeds; protein content of 3.3% and 4.3%; and fat content of 4.6% and 2.3%, respectively. The Toggenburg breed demonstrated superior results in protein and acidity—key quality indicators. Age did not significantly affect pH, acidity, or protein levels, but it did influence fat content. Both diet and breed caused significant variations in several parameters, highlighting their importance in milk quality. In contrast, density and total solids were very similar across breeds and ages, suggesting lower sensitivity to these factors. These findings emphasize that optimizing goat milk quality in Nicaragua requires prioritizing appropriate feeding strategies and breed selection over the animal’s age. The breed-diet interaction also proved decisive, particularly regarding fat content. Enhancing these variables would enable the production of more competitive and marketable products, thereby promoting the development of Nicaragua’s goat dairy sector.