Intake And Nutrient Digestibilities Of All-concentrate Diet From Forage And Some Crop Wastes By Sheep And Goats

Abstract

A total of 20 animals comprising 10 ranis and 10 bucks were involved in a digestibility study to assess the nutritive value of a combination of yam peel, cocoa-seed testa and Leucaena leaf in an all-concentrate diet for the sheep and goat. Parameters for assessment were dry matter intakes, dry matter and nutrient digestibilities, total digestible nutrients and nutritive ratio. The dry matter intakes in the all-concentrate diet by the sheep and goat ( > 4% of body weight) were higher (p<0.05) than obtained for the conventional diet of grass hay and supplemental concentrates of dry matter, crude protein and energy were lower (P<0.05) while those of crude protein and ether extract were higher and significant when compared to the conventional diet. The nature of the crude fibre of all-concentrate feed could influence the dry matter and energy digestibilities, and the digestible energy. The nutritive ratio of the all-concentrate feed was narrow (P<0.05) and indicated a high nutritive value.