PERFORMANCE OF WEST AFRICAN DWARF GOATS FED WITH Panicum maximum Supplemented With Newbouldia laevis LEAVES

Abstract

Sixteen (16) male West African Dwarf goat (WAD) kids aged 9-12 months were used in a 90 day feeding trial to determine the performance of goats fed Panicum maximum supplemented with Newbouldia laevis leaves. The goats were randomly divided into four groups of four animals per group; each group was randomly allotted to one of the four experimental diets containing 100% PM, 75% PM and 25% NL, 50% PM and 50% NL and 25% PM and 75% NL in a completely randomized design. Significant differences (P<0.05) were observed in Crude protein (CP) and Ether extract (EE) with diet 4 (25% P.M and 75%N.L) having the highest values 16.86 and 19.99, respectively while least values was observed in diet 1 (100%P.M). The treatments significantly influenced (P<0.05) the feed intake and final weight gain. The feed intake and weight gain decreased with increasing level of NL supplementation with no significant (P>0.05) influence observed for initial weight gain and feed conversion ratio. The NL is a promising tree species at it contained high CP more than the recommended level.