Voluntary intake, nutrient digestibility and nutritive value of foliage of fluted pumpkin (Talfairia occidentialis) - haylage mixtures by goats

摘要

Voluntarydrymatterintake,nutrientdigestibilityandnutritivevalueoffoliageofflutedpumpkin(Talfairiaoccidentialis)-haylage[85%carpetgrass(Axonopuscompressus);10%guineagrass(Panicummaximum)and5%batikigrass(Ischaemumaristatumvar.indicum)]mixturesfedtogoatswasinvestigated.FivecrossbredAnglo-Nubiangoats,12-14monthsold,apre-trialmeanliveweightof11.1#177;0.34kgwereallocatedinarandomized5x5LatinSquaredesigntofivedietarytreatments:100%haylage(FP0);75%haylage:25%flutedpumpkinfoliage(FP25);50%haylage:50%flutedpumpkinfoliage(FP50);25%haylage:75%flutedpumpkinfoliage(FP75)and100%flutedpumpkinfoliage(FP100).Thegoatsalsoreceived200geachofaconcentrate.CPandgrossenergycontentsofFP0,FP25,FP50,FP75andFP100were,9.3%,12.0%,14.7%,17.4%and20.1%;17.0,16.5,16.1,15.5and15.8(MJ/kgDM)respectively.Drymatterintake(DMI)ofFP0,FP25,FP50,FP75andFP100was88.3,76.1,66.4,67.1and67.5g/kg0.75/d,respectively.DMIbetweenthehaylage(FP0)andflutedpumpkinfoliage(FP100)wassignificantlydifferent(P0.05).DMIofthemixedhaylage/flutedpumpkindiets(FP25,FP50andFP75)weresignificantlybetter(P0.05)thanFP0.DigestibilitiesofDMandOMwere42.7,52.8,57.5,65.3and47.4%;43.9,54.2,61.6,68.7and52.4%,forFP0,FP25,FP50,FP75andFP100respectively.DigestibleCP(DCP)was3.9,6.1,8.6,10.1and11.1g/kg0.75/dforFP0,FP25,FP50,FP75andFP100respectively.Dailyproteinintake(DPI),waslowerinFP0(haylage).DPI,digestibleenergyintake(DEI)andmetabolizableenergyintake(MEI)followedthetrendofvoluntaryDMI.ThegoatsonFP75hadhigherOMdigestibility,nutritivevalueindex(NVI)andhigherADG.Thisindicatesthatthefoliageofflutedpumpkinisapotentialcheapproteinsourceandintotaldailyforageallowanceitsinclusionliesbetween50to75%levels;withthe75%levelgivingthebestperformanceBasedonperformancedatatheratioof25%haylage:75%flutedpumpkinfoliagewasmorebeneficialandtherebyrecommendedforgoatfarmers.Its'nutritionalimportanceinhumandietsinWestAfricancountrieswhereitiscultivatedmayhowever,limitsitsusageasacheapproteinsupplementforsmallruminantsonlowqualityfeedsduringthedryseasonperiod.