The nutritive value of wild fruits and their use as supplements to veld hay
1994
Ncube, S. | Mpofu, D. (Ministry of Agriculture, Bulawayo (Zimbabwe). Matopos Research Station)
Three experiments were conducted to examine the feeding value of fruits from leguminous trees. The first assessed chemical composition, in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and seed to pod ratio of Dichrostachys cinerea, Acacia rehmanniana, Acacia tortilis and Acacia nilotica. The seeds of the fruits had higher nitrogen content than the pods. The IVDMD was greater in seeds than pods, except for A. nilotica. In the second trial, wether lambs were offered hay ad libitum with either no supplement (control) or 200g/day of milled or unmilled fruits of either D. cinerea or A. rehmanniana. Hay intake was increased (P0.01) by feeding milled but not unmilled fruits. Nitrogen retention was increased by milling, but digestibility was reduced. In the third trial, wether lambs were offered hay (1kg fresh weight per animal) and one of the following (g DM/day): Mabiko [commercial product based on molasses and urea (14.5)]; cottonseed meal (CSM, 37.0), A. tortilis (100.0) or A. nilotica (115.0). The supplements were calculated to supply each animal with 2.5 gN/day. All supplements were eaten except for A. nilotica with a 30 refusal rate). The mean intakes of hay were 40, 33, 32 and 24 gDM/kg to the power of 0.75 for Mabiko, CSM, A.tortilis and A. nilotica respectively. Low intakes with A. nilotica maay have been caused by antinutritional factors reducing utilization of this fruit
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