This study aimed to assess the effects of different levels of Trichanthera gigantea leaf meal (TGLM) supplementation on the growth performance of Philippine Native chickens fed commercial chicken grower ration. A total of 96 three-month old native chickens of two sexes were randomly distributed to the four treatments with 3 replicates and 4 chickens per replicate in a 2 x 4 factorial in Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Under semi-confinement system, the dietary treatments consisted of 0, 5, 10, and 15% levels of TGLM supplementation for 13 weeks. Results revealed that cumulative voluntary feed intake (VFI) increased as TGLM supplementation increased, and was significantly highest with 15% level at weeks 10, 11 and 12. Although differences were not significant except at weeks 4 and 7, there was a decreasing trend in cumulative weight gain (CWG) with increasing TGLM level. Average daily gain (ADG) was not significantly affected by varying levels of TGLM supplementation, and feed conversion efficiency (FCE) showed a decreasing trend as TGLM level increased and was only significantly low (p<0.01) with 15% level at week 7. Comparing between sexes, the males were significantly higher than females in all production performance parameters. Therefore, TGLM is palatable but not adequate enough to supply the nutrients needed for a comparable weight gain with that of 0% supplementation, and a 5-10% inclusion in the diet is recommended.

This study assessed the effectiveness of formaldehyde, heat, and tannic acid treatments of madre de agua leaf meal (MALM) in reducing the degradation of dry matter (DMD) and crude protein (CPD) in the rumen for increased supply of bypass protein at the intestinal level. The experiment utilized a rumen-fistulated Brahman bull fed with chopped Napier grass soilage (basal diet) and MALM (test diet) at 70:30 basal:test diet ratio. Nylon bags (porosity of ±53μm) containing the treated MALM were incubated in the rumen for 24, 48 and 72 hours following the “sequential addition” method forin situ degradation measurement. Results showed that DMD of MALM was significantly reduced by formaldehyde treatment after 24-h and 48-h period of incubation than the untreated. This was followed by tannic acid treatment, though the reduction was significant only after 48-h incubation than the untreated. At 72-h period of incubation, DMD remained to be significantly lowest with formaldehyde treatment than the untreated or heat and tannic acid treatments. A similar pattern of differences in DMD rate (%/h) was observed as that of DMD (%). The CPD of MALM was also significantly reduced with formaldehyde treatment after 24-h incubation than the untreated. At 48-h incubation, all treatment methods showed significant protection of protein in MALM over that of the untreated. At 72h, formaldehyde and heat treatments significantly reduced the CPD of MALM compared to the untreated. A similar pattern of differences in CPD rate (%/h) was observed as that of CPD (%). Among treatment methods, the use of formaldehyde is the best, followed by tannic acid treatment, in achieving rumen bypass and promoting greater amino acid supply at the intestinal level.