Effect of supplementation of maize stover with foliage of various tropical multipurpose trees and Lablab purpureus on intake, rumen fermentation, digesta kinetics and microbial protein supply of sheep

• DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2003.10.017
• Publication Date: 2004-01-02T10:29:21Z
• Authors: I.K Hindrichsen; P.O Osuji; A.A Odenyo; J Madsen; T Hvelplund
• Keywords: multipurpose breeds; 2. Zero hunger; microbial nitrogen supply; protein concentrates; Multipurpose trees; 0402 animal and dairy science; Maize stover; ruminant; 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences; maize; lablab purpureus; nitrogen; supplements; ruminants; /dk/atira/pure/core/keywords/Life; digestibility; feed intake; microorganisms; rumen digestion; intake; Former LIFE faculty

Abstract Foliage of four multipurpose trees (Calliandra calothyrsus, Chamaecytisus palmensis, Leucaena diversifolia and Vernonia amygdalina) and a woody leguminous perennial (Lablab purpureus) were evaluated for their potential as protein supplements for sheep fed maize stover ad libitum. The chemical composition of the feed was analysed, and maize stover degradation, rumen kinetics, passage rate were measured and enumeration of microbial population in the rumen was done. L. diversifolia had the highest content of nitrogen (33.4 g/kg dry matter (DM)) while L. purpureus had the lowest one with 31.0 g/kg DM. V. amygdalina and C. calothyrsus had a low palatability and were eaten at levels largely varying among sheep and days; these two supplements were excluded from further analysis. The apparent digestibility of nitrogen for the diets supplemented with L. diversifolia was 0.338 and expressed a tendency (P=0.06) to be lower compared to 0.583 and 0.546 found with the C. palmensis and the L. purpureus diet, respectively. The apparent neutral detergent fibre-bound nitrogen (NDF-N) digestibility of L. diversifolia was negative (−1.19) and lower (P