Effects of Levels of Ficus (Ficus sycomorus) Supplementation on Voluntary Feed Intake, Nutrient Digestibility and Nitrogen Balance in Yankasa Bucks Fed Urea Treated Maize Stover Basal Diet

Subject Areas : Camel

S.B. Abdu ¹ , H. Ahmed ² , M.R. Jokthan ³ , H.Y. Adamu ⁴ , S.M. Yashimi ⁵

1 - Department of Animal Science, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
2 - Department of Animal Science, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
3 - Department of Animal Science, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
4 - Department of Animal Science, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
5 - Department of Animal Science, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

Received: 2011-06-22 Accepted : 2011-08-22 Published : 2012-06-01

Keywords: Goat, Urea, Ficus, maize stover,

Abstract :

The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding varying levels of Ficus sycomorus leaf forages as protein supplements to a basal diet of urea treated maize stover. Four Yankasa goats averaging one year and weighing 11.7±1.8 kg were used to measure the feed intake, digestibility and nitrogen balance. The basal diet (urea treated maize stover) was supplemented with 0 (T1), 50 (T2), 100 (T3) or and 150 (T4) g of fresh F. sycomorus leaves. The intake of the basal diet was significantly (P<0.05) affected by supplementation with browse foliage. T3 had significantly P, and 25.01 g/d for T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively. Evaluation of Nitrogen retention as a percentage of intake followed a similar pattern. F. sycomorus has potential as a protein supplement and could be offered at 100g/day in growing goats fed urea treated low quality basal diets.

References:

Abdu S.B.(1998). Effects of treatment of sorghum stover with urea and supplementation with poultry litter on feed intake, digestibility and live weight performance of Wadara cattle. M. Sc. Thesis, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
AbdulrazakS.A., Muinga R.W., Thorpe W. and Ørskov E.R. (1997). Supplementation with Gliricidia sepium and Leucaena leucocephala on voluntary food intake, digestibility, rumen fermentation and live-weight gain of crossbred steers offered Zea mays stover. Livest. Prod. Sci. 49, 53-62.
AkpaG.N, Asiribo E.O., Oni O.O., Alawa J.P. Dim N.I., Oshinowo O.A. and Abubakar B.Y. (2002). Milk production by Agropastoral Red Sokoto goats in Nigeria. Trop. Anim. Health. Prod. 34, 525-533.
Anbarasu C., Dutta N., Sharma K. and Rawat M. (2004).Response of goats to partial replacement of dietary protein by a leaf meal mixture containing Leucaena leucocephala, Morus alba and Tectona grandis. Small Rumin. Res. 51, 47-56.
AOAC. (2000). Official Methods of Analysis. Vol. 17^th Ed. Association of Official Analytical Chemists. Arlington, VA.
AudruJ. (1980). Ligneous and subligneous forage and fruit trees in the Guinean zone: prospects for utilization in animal production. In Browse in Africa: the CurrentStateof Knowledge. H.N. Le Houérou Ed. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA).
Barry T.N., Manley T.R. and Duncan S.J. (1986). The role of condensed tannins in the nutritional value of Lotus pedunculatus for sheep. Four sites of carbohydrate and protein digestion. Brit. J. Nutr. 55, 123-137.
Bocquier F., Theriez M. and Brelurut A. (1987). The voluntary hay intake by ewes during the last first weeks of lactation. Anim. Prod. 4, 387-394.
DuncanD.B. (1955). Multiple range and multiple F-test. Biometric. 11, 11-42.
Ehoche O.W. (2002). Feeding strategies for improving milk production. Pp. 19-26 inProc. of the 7^th Annual Conf. of the Animal Science Association of Nigerian. Abeokuta, Nigeria.
Ibrahim M.N.M., Tamminga S. and Zemmelink G. (1988). Nutritive value of some commonly available ruminant feeds in Sri Lanka. Pp. 2-4 in Ruminant Feeding Systems Utilization Fibrous Agricultural Residues Research Network. K.M. Dixon, Ed. Chang Mai University, Thailand.
JacksonM.G. (1977). The alkali treatment of straws. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 2, 105-130.
Kaitho J.R. (1997).Nutritive value of browses as protein supplement(s) to poor quality roughages. Ph.D. Thesis. Wageningen Agricultural University. Netherland.
Kusmartono U.B. (2002). Effects of supplementing jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus L) wastes with urea or leaves of Gliricidia sepium on feed intake and digestibility in sheep and steers. Livestock Research for Rural Development. (14) 2. http://www.cipav.org.co/lrrd/lrrd14/2/kusm142.htm.  Accessed Mar. 2010.
Kwabiah A.B., Stoskopf N.C., Palm C.A.and Voroney R.P. (2003). Soil P availability as affected by the chemical composition of plant material: implications for P-limiting agriculture in tropical Africa. Agric. Ecosyst. Env. 100, 53-61.
Lamb C.S. and Eadie J. (1979). The effect of barley supplements on the voluntary intake and digestion of low quality roughages by sheep. J. Agric. Sci. 92, 235-241.
Le Houérou H.N. and Corra M. (1980). Some browse plants of Ethiopia. In Browse in Africa: the current state of knowledge. Le Houérou H.N. Ed. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: International Livestock Centre for Africa(ILCA).
Leng R.A.(1990). Factors affecting the utilisation of ‘poor quality’ forages by ruminants particularly under tropical conditions. Nutr. Res. Rev. 3, 277-303.
Lufadeju E.A. (1988). Evaluation of improving utilization of mature Gamba hay (Andropogon gayanus) by Friesian-Bunaji heifers. Ph D. Thesis. AhmaduBelloUniversity, Samaru Zaria, Nigeria.
Merkel R.C., Pond K.R., Burns J.C. and Fisher D.S. (1996).Condensed tannins in Calliandra callothyrsus and their effects on feeding value. Pp. 222-223 inProc. International Workshop on the Genus Calliandra. D.O Evans. Ed. Winrock International, Morrilton, AR.
Munthali J.T.K., Jayasuriya M.C.N., Chimbaza T.L. and Bhattacharya A.N. (1991).Feeding of maize stover: Physical treatment and chemical pre-treatment and supplementation on performance of sheep and cattle. A technical report. Ministry of Agriculture and FAO, Malawi.
Nguyen X.B. and Le Duc N. (2003). Evaluation of some unconventional trees/plants as ruminant feeds in Central Vietnam. LivestockAResearchOforORuralODevelopment. (15) 6 http://www.cipav.org.co/lrrd/lrrd15/6/ba156.htmAAccessed June, 2010.
Nherera F.V., Ndlovu L.R. and Dzowela B.H. (1998).Utilization of Leucaena diversfolia, Leucaena esculenta, Leucaena pallida and Calliandra calothyrsus as nitrogen supplements for growing goats fed maize stover. Anim. Feed Sci.Technol. 74, 15-28.
Njidda A.A. (2010). In vitro gas production and stoichiometric relationship between short chain fatty acids and in vitro gas production of semi-arid browses of North-Eastern Nigeria. Global Veterinaria. 4(3), 292-298.
Osuji P.O., Nsahlai I.V. and Khalili H. (1993). Feed Evaluation. ILCA manual 5. InternationalLivestockCenterfor Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 40 Pp.
Reed J.D., Soller H. and Woodward A. (1990). Fodder tree and straw diets for sheep: intake growth, digestibility and the effect of phenolics on nitrogen utilization. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 30, 39-50.
Saadullah M., Haque M. and Dolberg F. (1981). Effectiveness of ammoniation through urea in improving the feeding value of rice straw in ruminants. Trop. Anim. Prod. 6, 30-36.
SAS. (2001). Procedures Guide: version 9.1. Statistical Analysis Systems Institute, Cary, NC.
Sundstøl F. (1981). Methods for treatment of low-quality roughages. In Utilization of Low-Quality Roughages in Africa.J.A., Kategile A.N. Said and F. Sundstøl Ed., Lamport Gilbert Printers Ltd. Reading.
Wambui C.C., Abdulrazak S.A. and Noordin Q. (2006). The effect of supplementing urea treated maize stover with Tithonia, Calliandra and Sesbania to growing goats.Livestock Research for RuralCDevelopment. 18 (5) www.Irrrd.org/Irrd18/5/cont1805.htm AccessedLDecember, 2010.
Wheeler R.A., Chaney W.R., ButlerL.G. and Brewbaker J.L. 1994. Condensed tannins in Leucaena and their relation to psyllid resistance. Agroforestry Syst. 26, 139-146.