Gliricidia sepium and Samanea saman leaf meals as protein supplements for goats
2003
Atega, T.A. | Alinea, C.B. | Rayos, A.A. | Robles, A.Y. (Philippines Univ. Los Banos, College, Laguna (Philippines))
To enhance the utilization of kakawate (Gliricidia sepium) and acacia (Samanea saman) as protein supplements for goats in smallholder farms, the authors prepared the leaves and browseable twigs of these fodder trees into leaf meals and used these in the ration for dairy goats (Saanen breed) in the project "Performance evaluation of dairy goats fed protein-rich fodder." The experimental rations used during the six-month feeding trial were napier grass + Kakawate leaf meal (KLM) at 50% of ration dry matter (DM), grass + acacia leaf meal (ALM) at 50% of ration DM, and grass + concentrate. Findings showed that ration with ALM had the highest CP content (13.92% DM basis), followed by the rations with concentrate (12.49%), and KLM (12.38%). The supplement and total dry matter intakes (TDMI) of goats fed rations with ALM, KLM, and concentrate were comparable. The average daily milk yields of goats supplemented with ALM and KLM were not significantly different from those in concentrate supplementation. However, the milk yield (1.101-1.172 L/day) in this study was far below the milk production potential (3 L/day) of Saanen breed. The disparity could be attributed to the fact that the study was conducted during the peak of summer when the heat may have been so intense for milk production. The composition of the milk of goats supplemented with ALM and KLM did not vary significantly with that of goats in concentrate supplementation. Income over feed cost was higher for feeding the leaf meals (P15.46 and P16.04) compared with feeding concentrate (P9.84). Assuming that feed cost represents 60% of the total production cost, the costs to produce a liter of milk with KLM, ALM, and concentrate supplementation were P4.50, P4.75, and P14.11, respectively
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