The effect of supplementing urea treated maize stover with Tithonia, Calliandra and Sesbania to growing goats

摘要

AstudywasconductedtocomparetheeffectsoffeedingTithoniadiversifolia(Tithonia)withCalliandracalothyrsus(Calliandra)andSesbaniasesban(Sesbania)treelegumeforagesasproteinsupplementstoabasaldietofureatreatedmaizestover.Sixteengoats(GermanAlpinecrosses)averagingoneyearandweighing11.7#177;1.8kgwereusedtomeasurethefeedintake,digestibilityandliveweightgainsfor7weeks.Thebasaldiet(ureatreatedmaizestover)plus100gofmaizegermwasofferedalone(control)orsupplementedwith30%ondrymatterbasisofTithonia,CalliandraandSesbania,respectively.nbsp;Theintakeofthebasaldietwasnotsignificantly(P0.05)affectedbysupplementationwithbrowsefoliagebutresultedinsignificant(P0.05)increaseintotaldrymatterintake,dietdigestibilityandnitrogenretentioncomparedtothecontrol.Nitrogenretentionwas4.98,4.44,1.10and,2.10,g/dayforSesbania,Tithonia,Calliandraandcontrolrespectively.Supplementationsignificantly(P0.05)increasedtheaveragedailygainsfrom20.9g/dayforthecontrolto82.7,57.1,and39.3g/dayforTithonia,CalliandraandSesbaniarespectively.TithoniahaspotentialasaproteinsupplementandcouldbeusedasanalternativetoCalliandraandSesbaniaingrowinggoatsfedwithlowqualitybasaldiets.