Eight woody fodder species adapted to the highlands of Rwanda were evaluated in terms of dry matter intake in one experiment. Animals were offered a daily diet comprising 4.0 of fresh matter of Setaria splendida grass supplemented with or without one of the eight fodder species tested. In all cases, total daily feed intake was increased by the addition of woody fodder. Daily intake of the woody fodder was high for Acacia koaia, Mimosa scabrella and Acacia koa at 43.7, 42.6 and 41.9 g/kg BW0.75, respectively. The dry matter intake of the other five species (Alnus acuminata, Chamaecytisus palmensis, Hagenia abyssinica, Acacia mearnsii and Acacia melanoxylon) ranged from 18.9 to 30.1 g/kg BW0.75 per day. In another experiment, a basic daily diet of 4.0 kg of fodder (in fresh weight) was given to each animal. This ratio comprised S. splendida supplemented with M. scabrella and incorporated at 0 (control), 45% and 66% (fresh weight basis) of the total daily diet. Improved weight gain was obtained when setaria was supplemented with M. scabrella with daily weight gain of 31, 47 and 51 g/animal for 0, 45 and 66% M. scabrella, respectively.
Tag: goats
Nutrient intake and utilisation by goats fed dried leaves of the shrub legumes Acacia angustissima, Calliandra calothyrsus and Leucaena leucocephala as supplements to native pasture hay
Thirty-six indigenous goats were used to determine the potential of sun-dried leaves of the shrub legumes Acacia angustissima, Calliandra calothyrsus and Leucaena leucocephala as supplements to native pasture hay (NPH). The dried leaves were included at the rates of 80, 160 and 320 g/head/day. Cottonseed meal fed at the same levels, and NPH fed alone were included as controls. Among the browses, C. calothyrsus had the lowest N content of 19.0 g/kg dry matter (DM) and A. angustissima the highest of 35.0 g/kg DM. The leaves from the legumes had significantly less N and higher cell wall, neutral detergent insoluble N (NDIN) and acid detergent insoluble N (ADIN) contents than cottonseed meal. The values of NDIN as a fraction of total N were 19, 456, 526 and 816 g/kg for cottonseed meal, L. leucocephala, A. angustissima and C. calothyrsus, respectively.Proanthocyanidin contents were 33, 196 and 134 g/kg DM for A. angustissima, C. calothyrsus and L. leucocephala, respectively. Type of supplement did not affect (P>0.05) NPH, total and digestible DM intakes although NPH intake was depressed (P<0.05) at the highest level of supplementation compared to the first two levels. Animals fed legumes excreted significantly more (P<0.001) faecal N (g/kg N intake) than animals consuming cottonseed meal. The reverse was observed for urine N. Among the legumes, C. calothyrsus had significantly higher (P<0.001) N in faeces (958 g/kg N intake) than A. angustissima (630) and L. leucocephala (615). Significant (P<0.05) correlation coefficients were obtained between proanthocyanidins (PAs) intake and faecal N, NDIN and ADIN (0.535, 0.501 and 0.786, respectively). Regressing digestible N on N intake indicated that A. angustissima and C. calothyrsus tannins had significant effects on the digestion of dietary N. The animal responses were discussed in relation to PAs content. It was concluded that both the type and level of PAs were important determinants of the animal responses.