Relative Intake of Selected Leguminous Browse Plants by West African Dwarf (WAD) Buck

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the relative intake of selected leguminous browse plants by West African Dwarf Bucks. Four bucks averaging 12 months and 8kg in age and weight respectively were used. The bucks were housed individually in a cement-floored pens equipped with feeders and waterers. Four selected browse plants; Calapogonium mucunoides (Cm), Gliricidia sepium (Gs), Centrosema pubescens (Cp) and Pueraria phaseoloides (Pp) were harvested from the local environment. The trial lasted for seven (7) days wherein each goat constituted an observation, the different daily browse intake formed the treatment while the number of days of the experiment constitutes replicate. Daily feed intake of individual goat for the four selected forage was calculated as the difference between the quantity of feed offered and refused daily. The Mean Daily Dry Matter intake, Coefficient of Preference (COP) and Relative Coefficient of Preference (RCP) in percentage were determined for each of the forages offered. Significant difference (P < 0.05) in the intake of Cm and Cp was observed. Highest Daily Dry Matter intake of 2035.58g/day was obtained from Cp followed by 1885.71g/day from Pp while lower values of 1733.51 and 1570.65g/day were obtained from Cm and Gs respectively. COP of 0.87, 0.96, 1.04 and 1.13 and RCP of 110, 100, 120 and 129 were recorded from Cm, Gs, Pp and Cp respectively. The result of this study revealed that combination of Pp and CP will be more suitable for both intensive and extensive goat farming in the tropics.