Feed intake, eating pattern, nutrient digestibility and remun metabolites in sheep and goat fed gross tree leaves diets

Abstract

Two consecutive feeding trials were carried out on 4 adult male animals each of sheep and goat separately on Cenchrus ciliaris-Leucaena leucocephala (CC-LL) and Cenchrus ciliaris-Grewia optiva (CC-GO) diets. Sheep and goats were fed grass and tree leaves in 75:25 and 50:50 ratios (DM basis), respectively, for 2 months and thereafter a digestion trial was conducted on each diet to assess feed intake and nutrients digestibility. Rumen liquor samples were collected separately on both diets at 0 and 4 h post feeding to determine metabolite concentration in rumen of sheep and goat. CP was higher in LL and lower in fibre than GO. DMI was relatively lower in sheep than in goat on CC-LL diet, while on CC-GO diet both species had identical feed intake. Sheep and goat had 9-10 units higher DM and fibre digestibility on CC-GO than CC-LL diet, while species exhibited no difference for DM digestibility on each diet. Goat had higher CP digestibility than sheep on CC-GO diet, however on CC-LL diet such difference was not evident. Eating rate (g/kg WO·75 ) was relatively more in sheep up to 4 and 6 h feeding on both CC-LL and CC-GO diets than in goat. TVFA concentration (meq/l) in rumen liquor of sheep was higher on CC-GO than on CC-LL diet. Total-N (mg/IOO ml) in rumen liquor of sheep was higher in sheep on CC-LL than on CC-GO diet, while values were comparable in goats on both diets. Results indicated that sheep and goats had relatively higher feed intake, nutrients digestibility and TVFA production on CC-GO than on CC-LL diet.