Performance and Nutrient Digestibility of West African Dwarf goats fed Panicum maximum supplemented with Gmelina arborea leaves mixture

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to investigate the performance and nutrient digestibility of twenty (20) growing West African Dwarf bucks, aged 4-6 months weighing between 6.50 9.00kg were fed varying levels of Gmelina arborea leaves and Panicum maximum as a basal diet for 56 days. The results showed that dry matter intake increased (P<0.05) with supplementation of Gmelina arborea leaves, with T (100% G. arborea leaves and 0% P. maximum) having the highest dry matter 5 intake (4.93kg) and T (50% G. arborea leaves and 50% P. maximum) have the least 3 value (4.03kg).Goats fed T (75% P. maximum and 25% G. arborea leaves) has the 2 highest weight gain (28.57g/day) followed by T (16.79g/day) while T (100% P. 3 1 maximum and 0% G. arborea leaves) has the least value of 5.54g/day. The nutrient digestibility trial showed that T diethas the highest dry matter digestibility (88.06%) 3 while T diet had the lowest value of 87.68, with no significant difference (p<0.05). 2 The highest (CP) digestibility (9.58%) and (CF) digestibility (22.53%) was recorded in T diet. Based on the result of this study, it can be concluded that Gmelina arborea 5 appeared to have the potential as protein feed supplements as well as serves as a good feed resource for modern intensive ruminant animal production at inclusion level of 75%Panicum maximum and 25% Gmelina arborea leaves for a better feed utilization, and at 100% Gmelina arborea leaves and 0% Panicum maximum to achieve best dry matter intake.

Key words: WAD goats; legume; tropical grass; digestibility