Proximate and In vitro Gas Production of Toasted Enterolobium cyclocarpum Based Multi-Nutrient Feed Block

摘要

This study was conducted to determine the proximate composition (dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, organic matter, ash) of Enterolobium cyclocarpum based feed blocks and in vitro gas production, in vitro gas characteristics including organic matter digestibility (%), metabolizable energy (ME, MJ/Kg DM), short chain fatty acid (μmol/200mgDM), and dry matter digestibility, was investigated.Dried and milled samples of feed blocks were incubated using 200mg/30ml inoculum from West African Dwarf Rams for 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 36, 48, and 72 hours. Five feed blocks (FB) were produced containing toasted Enterolobium cyclocarpum seed meal (TECSM) and E. cyclocarpum foliage meal (ECFM), respectively, at the ratio of 0:0% (Control: FB1), 0:30% (FB2), 10:20% (FB3), 20:10% (FB4), and 30:0% (FB5) inclusion levels. FB2, FB3, FB4 and FB5 had higher dry matter and crude protein content (90.67, 83.33, 67.67, 81.00% DM) and (15.58, 21.36, 18.71, 20.28% DM), respectively, compared to FB1 (64.50% DM) and (12.05 % DM). There was an increase in the volume of gas production as incubation period extended from 3 to 72 hours (Table 3). The highest volume of 42.75 ml/200mgDM was recorded for 30% TECSM + 0% ECFM (FB 5) at the end of 72 hours incubation.To this effect, ruminant animals could be fed feed blocks (FB) containing toasted Enterolobium cyclocarpum seed meal (TECSM) and E. cyclocarpum foliage meal (ECFM) up to 30% inclusion level.