Nutritional evaluation of cowpea, mung bean and cluster bean fodders in Barbari male adult goats

This study evaluated the nutritive value of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), mung bean (Vigna radiata) and cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) fodders in goats, fed during monsoon season in semi-arid tropics of India. Crops were grown as rain-fed on sandy loam soil fields and green biomass was harvested daily from flowering to pod formation stage. Barbari male (n=18) adult goats were divided into three equal groups with 5 animals in each and fed daily with one of the three crop fodders ad lib. followed by nutrient balance trial after 25 days of initiation feeding. Crude protein content of the three fodders varied from 12.90 to 18.80% during the experiment. Dry matter intake and digestibility of dry matter, acid detergent fibre and total carbohydrates were similar among three fodders; whereas, digestibility of organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fibre and hemicellulose were significantly different and found to be higher in cowpea fodder compared to other fodders. The total digestible nutrients (TDN) content was similar, but digestible crude protein (DCP) content was greater in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), followed by cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) and mung bean (Vigna radiata). Intake of TDN and DCP followed the trend of TDN and DCP content of the fodders. The nitrogen balance (g/kg W0.75) increased marginally in cowpea fodder fed goats than other treatments. Rumen fluid pH and ammonia nitrogen (mg/dl) were enhanced in cluster bean (6.8 and 30.5 mg) followed by cowpea and mung bean; whereas total-nitrogen, tricarboxylic acid precipitable nitrogen (TCA-ppt-N) and total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) were similar among three fodders. Blood haemato-biochemical attributes were not affected by the three fodders, except plasma urea concentration (mg/dl) which was greater in cowpea fed goats compared to other treatments. From this study, it was found that TDN (%), DCP (%) and ME (Mcal/kg feed DM) contents of tested fodders can form a baseline data for goat ration formulation.