VOLUNTARY DRY INTAKE OF PANICUM MAXIMUM AND FOUR BROWSE SPECIES BY WEST AFRICAN DWARF GOATS

Abstract

Fifteen WAD goats aged between 7-9 months obtained from smallholder goat farmers were used for the voluntary feed intake study. The goats were placed on four browse species with Panicum maximum as the control diet. The treatments were: Tl, Panicum maximum, T2: Antocleis tavogelli, T3: Aspillia africana, T4: Microdesmis puberula and T5: Pterocarpus santolinoides. Maize offal served as the basal diet. The goats were randomly assigned to the treatment diets between 1000h and 1800h daily while maize offal was offered at 1300h. Data were collected on voluntary feed dry matter intake, body weight gain and dry matter digestibility. Samples of test diets were dried for dry matter determination, proximate and cell wall composition. The study lasted for 70 days with 14-d adjustment and 56-d data collection periods. Results showed goats placed on M. puberula recorded the highest values (P<0.05) of forage dry matter intake (830.2gd-l) and total dry matter. Intake (981.7g&^l) while goats on A. vogelli were least in both forage dry matter intake (253.6gd-l ) and total dry matter intake (382.9gd-l) and basal diet intake (129.5gd-l). Goats on A. Africana consumed more of the basal diet (188.3gd-1) digested more (97.1%) and gain more weight. (0.93g). Chemical composition showed browses are richer in crude protein than grasses. Browse plats can be useful supplements to low quality basal diet.