Dry matter degradation characteristics of rice stover with different proportions of Ficus capensis or Alchornea cordifolia in rumen fistulated sheep, goats or cattle

Abstract

Rumen dry matter degradation characteristics (soluble fraction, degradable fraction, rate of degradation and effective degradability) of leaves of two browse species (Alchornea cordifolia, Ficus capensis) and rice stover and their varying proportions (10, 20 or 30% of each browse: crop residue mixture) were evaluated in rumen fistulated West African Dwarf sheep and goats and Bunaji cattle. The forages differed (P<0.05) in soluble fraction (a) rate of degradation (c) and effective degradability (ED) but did not differ in the degradable fraction (b). Rice stover bad the highest rate of degradation and F.capensis the least. Effective degradability (ED) was highest in cattle followed by sheep and goats with a high degree of correlation among them. The inclusion of the different proportions of browse in the mixtures show some significance in a, b and ED (P<0.05). Mixture had a depressive effect on the soluble fraction of the feeds in rice stover: A.cordifolia mixtures. Degradable fraction differed mainly in F.capensis mixtures. The rate of degradation was affected mainly in sheep and cattle among the feeds in rice stover: F.capensis mixtures. The different mixtures influenced effective degradability. As with the sole feeds, ED was highest in cattle, followed by sheep and goats.

Keywords: Degradation, browse, crop residue, mixture effect.