Leucaena leucocephala as a feed for livestock in Barbados
1988
Quintyre, R.C. | Chase, D.O. | Millington, R.C.A. (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (Barbados). Animal Nutrition Unit)
The progress made in the development of Leucaena as a livestock feed in Barbados is reviewed. Improved varieties have been introduced from Australia and have been grown either in purestand or in mixtures with elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum). Leucaena is normally used as a protein bank for grazing or in the cut and carry system at certain periods of the year. Leucaena leaves can be dried either in the sun or in a solar drier and used as a leaf meal substitute for alfalfa meal. Preliminary studies showed that Leucaena can be chopped and ensiled either manually on a small scale or mechanically on a larger scale. Nutritive evaluation indicated that prolonged feeding of high levels of Leucaena had no visible toxic effect on Blackbelly sheep. The average daily gain of weaning Holstein steers was less than expected due to the large quantities of woody material in a crude protein content of 12.5 %. Based on this information, Leucaena is a valuable forage legume for the Caribbean region
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