Nutritive value of forages consumed by ruminants during the dry season in the Western Highlands of Cameroon

• Published in: Grassland research (Online) Vol. 2; no. 2; pp. 112 - 119
• Main Authors: Tieubou Tsopgni, Leslie, Lemoufouet, Jules, Meutchieye, Felix, Edie Nounamo, Langston Wilfried, Nyembo Kondo, Camile, Kana, Jean Raphaël, Mouchili, Mama, Feudjio, Back Armel, Hou, Fujiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lanzhou John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.06.2023; Wiley
• Subjects: Antinutrition factors; Chemical composition; Digestibility; Dry matter; Dry season; Feeds; Fodder; Forage; Highlands; Lactation; Livestock; Meat production; nutritional value; Nutritive value; Proteins; ruminants; Small intestine; Software; Species; tropical forages; Variance analysis; Ventilation; Western Highlands of Cameroon; Cameroon
• ISSN: 2097-051X; 2770-1743
• DOI: 10.1002/glr2.12051

Background In the Western Highlands of Cameroon (WHC), information on the nutritional value of fodder species consumed by ruminants is very limited. Methods Through interviews with farmers and monitoring of animals on the range, information was obtained on the types of fodder resources consumed by the ruminants. Samples of each forage species were collected in 15 districts, mixed, chopped, and dried in a ventilated oven at 60°C, and then ground for chemical composition analysis. Results Twenty‐two forage species were identified. Among these species, Vernonia amygdalina (29.43% ± 0.45% dry matter [DM]) and Pennisetum clandestinum (87.21% ± 1.33% DM) were, respectively, the highest in protein and neutral detergent fiber contents. Manihot esculenta was one of the most energy‐rich forages in terms of forage unit for lactation and forage unit for meat production. Hierarchical ascending classification revealed three main groups of forages, respectively, rich in crude fiber (Group 1), protein (Group 2), and energy (Group 3). Conclusions The present study identified 22 forage species browsed by ruminants in WHC. Further studies should be carried out to determine the antinutritional factors and to evaluate their nutrient value using in vitro or in situ digestibility techniques. The design of a database on available forage resources can be very useful to improve the zootechnical performance of ruminants.