The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of calcium nitrate (CN) on dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield, milk composition, and ruminal parameters in dairy goats. The CN can be used as an alternative source for NPN supplementation, but its effects on dairy goats are not well established. The hypothesis was that CN could be fed to lactating goats without affecting rumen fermentation parameters or milk production. Twelve Saanen goats (98.5 ± 13.1 d in milk; 53.5 ± 3.3 kg -body weight; mean ± standard deviation) were enrolled in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square (21-d period; 14-d adaptation). Goats were fed ad libitum with a TMR composed of 45% corn silage and 55% concentrate on DM basis. Diets were isocaloric and isonitrogenous with 15.5% of crude protein and 10.5% of rumen degradable protein. Treatments were: T1 - basal diet without CN; T2 - 1.0% CN (66.9% NO₃^-) on DM basis; T3 - 2% of calcium nitrate on DM basis. Milk samples were collected on d 15–16 of each period and analyzed for milk components by Bentley 2000 infrared analyzer. The blood was collected 3 h after the feeding and analyzed for methemoglobin. Ruminal fluid was collected 2 and 8 h after the feeding, the pH and volatile fatty acids were determined, the latter by gas chromatography. Data were analyzed by ANOVA with mixed models using the Mixed procedure in SAS. Diets with up to 2% of calcium nitrate did not affect DMI, milk yield, milk composition, methemoglobin, or ruminal parameters. The mean values of DMI, milk yield, and milk contents of fat, protein, lactose and MUN were 1.86 ± 0.01 kg/d, 2.10 ± 0.04 kg/d, 2.7 ± 0.01%, 3.20 ± 0.03%, 4.8 ± 0.01% and 22.8 ± 0.01 mg/dL, respectively. Ruminal parameters also did not differ between treatments and showed the following means: 7.02 ± 0.09 for pH, 49.05 ± 5.6 nmol/mL of total volatile fatty acids, 31 ± 4.17 nmol/mL of acetate, 24.53 ± 8.97 nmol/mL of propionate, 6.32 ± 0.76 nmol/mL of butyrate and 3.06 ± 0.36 of acetate:proprionate ratio. Calcium nitrate can be used up to 2% on DM basis without affecting milk production, milk composition, or ruminal fermentation parameters.