Subabul leaf meal as a replacement of mustard cake in lamb diets

Comparative evaluation of native top feeds of western Himalayas for utilization as goat's ration in mash and block form

The current research was undertaken to scrutinize the effect of leaf meal mixture as concentrate mixture in the ration of goats. Leaf meal mixture (LMM) was prepared using equal quantities of ten top-foliages namely Acacia nilotica, Celtis australis, Ficus palmata, Ficus religiosa, Grewia optiva, Melia azadarach, Morus alba, Quercus incana, Salix alba and Zizyphus jujube obtained from district Poonch of Jammu region in western Himalayas. The LMM prepared was substituted for 15% in the concentrate mixture being fed to the goats. The study constituted of two trials. Concentrate mixture offered to the animals was in mash and multi-nutrient block in first and second trial respectively. A total of twelve non-descript, adult male goats were selected for each trial. Goats of 0-14 months age (27.71 ± 2.96 kg live body weight) of for first trial while goats of 12-16 months age (27.02 ± 2.93 kg live weight) for second trial were divided into control and treatment groups as per randomized block design and fed ad-lib wheat straw and concentrate mixture @ (20 g/kgW0.75). No significant variation was observed (p > 0.05) in body weight, feed and DM intake among all groups in both trials. Comparable intake as well as digestibility of various nutrients like DM, OM, CP, EE, CF, NFE, NDF, ADF and TDN were found between the two groups during individual trials. There was a positive nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus balance among all experimental animals in both the trials. Serum enzymes ALT, AST and haemato-biochemical parameters like total protein, albumin, globulin, albumin: globulin and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) showed no significant differences during both trials in all groups, being within normal physiological levels. However, haemoglobin concentration was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in treatment group with respect to the control group in first trial. On the basis of current results, it can be established that leaf meal mixture can successfully be used to replace concentrate mixture up to 15% in the ration of goats without expecting any adverse impacts on their growth and overall health.

Effect of feeding pellet containing Leucaena leucocephala and Ficus infectoria leaves on in vivo methane emission in Barbari goats

Effect of feeding complete pellet feed containing tree leaves on methane emission was studied in male Barbari goats. Three types of complete pellet feed was formulated, viz. control pellet (C) having gram straw (60%) and concentrate mixture (40%), treatment 1 (T1) and treatment 2 (T2) containing dried Leucaena leucocephala and Ficus infectoria leaves respectively. All types of pellets were isonitrogenous. Growing male Barbari goats (12; 3– 4 month-old; average body weight 11.01±0.49 kg) were divided into 3 groups (Gr 1, Gr 2 and Gr 3) as per completely randomized design. Gr 1 was fed with control pellet while Gr 2 and Gr 3 was fed with T1 and T2 pellet respectively. After 6 weeks of experimental feeding, a digestion trial of 6-day duration was conducted. There was no difference in the DMI (g)/day between the 3 groups. Dry matter digestibility and digestibility of other nutrients were comparable among all groups of goats. Rumen liquor was collected from each animal to study rumen fermentation metabolites. Rumen pH, ammonia-N and nitrogenous fractions (total nitrogen, TCA-ppt N, NPN) were statistically similar in all the groups. Total volatile fatty acids (mmol/dl) was significantly higher in Gr 3 (10.57) and Gr 2 (9.52) as compared to control group (8.67). Fractions (%) of volatile fatty acids (acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid) were similar in different groups. In vivo methane emission in different groups of goats was estimated by SF6 technique as per procedure standardized in our lab. Methane production (g/day) was 8.29 in Gr 1, 7.47 in Gr 2 and 6.72 in Gr 3. There was 9.89 and 18.93% lower methane production in Gr 2 and Gr 3 as compared to control group of goats fed with complete pellet feed. From the present study, it can be concluded that incorporation of dried L. leucocephala and Ficus infectoria leaves in the complete pellet feed can reduce the methane production in goats.