Effect of dried Gliricidia sepium leaf supplement on feed intake, digestibility and nitrogen retention in sheep fed dried KW4 elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) ad libitum

• Published in: Agroforestry systems Vol. 41; no. 2; pp. 139 - 150
• Main Authors: Mpairwe, D.R. (International Livestock Research Inst., Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).), Sabiiti, E.N, Mugerwa, J.S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.01.1998; M. Nijhoff/Dr. W. Junk; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal productions; Automotive parts; AZOTE; Biological and medical sciences; COMPLEMENT ALIMENTAIRE; Diet; DIGESTIBILIDAD; DIGESTIBILITE; DIGESTIBILITY; Elephantidae; FEED INTAKE; FEUILLE; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GLIRICIDIA SEPIUM; HOJAS; INGESTION DE PIENSOS; LEAVES; NITROGEN; NITROGEN RETENTION; NITROGENO; OVIN; OVINOS; PENNISETUM PURPUREUM; PRISE ALIMENTAIRE (ANIMAUX); RETENCION NITROGENADA; RETENTION AZOTEE; SHEEP; SUPLEMENTOS; SUPPLEMENTS; Terrestrial animal productions; Vertebrates; Uganda; East Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Africa; Fodder tree; Monocotyledones; Ruminant animal; Animal feeding; Tropical zone; Supplemented diet; Weight gain; Gramineae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Animal production; Ungulata; Digestibility; Macronutrient(mineral); Farming animal; Pennisetum purpureum; Nutritive value; Fodder; Plant leaf; Gliricidia sepium; Nitrogen; Multipurpose tree; Feed conversion efficiency; Vertebrata; Mammalia; RAMS; Leguminosae; Food intake; Sheep; Rearing; Spermatophyta; Artiodactyla; Fodder crop; Agroforestry; NITROGEN RETENTION
• ISSN: 0167-4366; 1572-9680
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1006097902270

A feeding experiment was conducted to study the effects of supplementation with dried Gliricidia sepium leaves on dry matter (DM) intake, digestibility and nitrogen retention in sheep fed KW4 elephant grass. Four mature rams were fed elephant grass ad libitum supplemented with four levels of gliricidia leaves (0, 4, 8 and 12 g DM kg^sup -1^ lwt day^sup -1^) in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Supplementation with gliricidia leaves decreased elephant grass DM intake (g DM day^sup -1^ or g DM kg^sup -1^ BW^sup 0.75^ day^sup -1^). However, the effect of supplementation on total DM intake of the rations was not significant (P >; 0.05). Total crude protein intake significantly (P < 0.001) increased with increasing levels of gliricidia supplementation. Total DM digestibility and body weight changes were significantly (P < 0.05) improved by gliricidia supplementation; with the highest digestibility coefficient (60.5%) and body weight gain (89.3 g/day) obtained at 8 g DM kg^sup -1^ lwt day^sup -1^. Gliricidia supplementation significantly (P < 0.001) improved nitrogen intake, absorbed nitrogen and retained nitrogen but with no significant difference at 8 and 12 g DM kg^sup -1^ lwt day^sup -1^ level of supplementation. The highest efficiency of N retention by sheep (44.9%) was obtained at 8 g DM kg^sup -1^ lwt day^sup -1^ level of gliricidia supplementation. The results indicated that supplemention of KW4 elephant grass with small quantities of gliricidia leaves up to 8 g DM kg^sup -1^ lwt day^sup -1^ enhance utilisation efficiency of the total ration. Further increases in the level of gliricidia supplementation, under the conditions of this experiment, reduced the intake of elephant grass leading to substitution effects of the basal.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]