Abstract
Two experiments were designed to investigate the effect of legume tree-pods and ensiling on the intake and relative palatability of six feeds by goats and sheep. In the first experiment, the feeds offered were pasture hay (Themeda triandra), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), pods of Acacia sieberiana, Acacia nilotica and Leucaena leucocephala. In the second, silage from the pods of A. sieberiana was included as the sixth feed in order to examine the effect of ensiling on intake and palatability since this process was devised as a means of detoxifying cyanogenic glocosides known to be present in the leaves and pods of this species. Intake (Ti) and relative palatability (Pi) were determined using 3 goats and 3 sheep in each experiment. Since the feeds had different dry matter contents, intake was expressed as a ratio of the quantity offered (Ti/Ai). Using the hay offered (A1) and intake (T1), as standard, relative palatability indices were calculated as Pi = (Ti/Ai)/(T1/A1) where i represented the other feeds. In experiment 1, goats consumed more hay than alfalfa or pods. Sheep consumed more leucaena than all the other feeds. In experiment 2, the intake of all feeds except nilotica increased over time. Hay and leucaena had the highest Pi for goats and sheep, respectively, in experiment 1. In experiment 2, silage from pods of A. sieberiana had the highest Pi while the ranking for goats remained unchanged. The nilotica meal had the lowest Pi in both experiments. Pi was affected (p > 0.0001) only by feed type in experiment 1 but in experiment 2, feed type, animal species and weight significantly (p > 0.01) affected Pi. The results show that the pods of L. leucocephala and A. nilotica were the most and least preferred by goats and sheep, respectively, and that ensiling significantly improved the intake and palatability of the pods of A. sieberiana. However, some feeds that are least preferred in times of abundance and variety could be relished during periods of scarcity and severe feed shortages, based on animal survival instinct.
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Ngwa, A., Nsahlai, I. & Bonsi, M. Feed intake and dietary preferences of sheep and goats offered hay and legume-tree pods in South Africa. Agroforestry Systems 57, 29–37 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022988200484
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022988200484