Nutritive Evaluation Of Variously Treated Mucuna Seeds As Feed For Ruminants

Abstract

Mucuna as a feed has great ability to serve as a source of energy and protein in dry season feeds due to the fact that it has high crude protein content comparable to other well known legumes. The study was designed to evaluate the nutritive compositions of Mucuna beans subjected to various treatments. The treatments that the Mucuna beans were subjected to include: roasting, boiling, autoclaving and raw, thereafter, the chemical analysis of the variously treated beans was determined. Similarly, the invitro gas production was determined. The results showed significant differences in the roasted beans for all the parameters determined. Invitro gas production showed boiled, autoclaved and raw beans to be more utilizable as sheep feed than the roasted form. Heat treatment made the protein content in beans steadily unavailable for ruminant use as such Mucuna can gradually serve as a source of energy for ruminants especially in dry season when there is scarcity of energy sources for ruminants.