EFFECT OF FEEDING DIFFERENT PROPORTIONS OF PIGEON PEA (Cajanus cajan) AND NEEM (Azadirachta indica) LEAVES ON FEED INTAKE, DIGESTIBILITY, BODY WEIGHT GAIN AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF GUMUZ GOATS

Abstract

A study was conducted with the objective of evaluating the effect of feeding different proportions of dry pigeon pea and neem leaves on feed intake, digestibility, body weight gain and carcass parameters of Gumuz goats. Thirty six yearling intact male Gumuz goats with initial mean body weight of 14.1 ± 1.5 kg (mean ± SD) were used for the experiment. The experimental design used for all parameters was randomized complete block design. The experimental animals were grouped in to six blocks of six animals based on their initial BW and each animal within each block was randomly assigned to one of the six treatment diets; namely, RGH (Rhodes grass hay) ad libitum+53% WB: 47% NSC (T1), RGH ad libitum+100% PPLM (Pigeon pea leaf meal) (T2), RGH ad libitum+75% PPLM:25% NLM (Neem leaf meal) (T3), RGH ad libitum+50% PPLM:50% NLM (T4), RGH ad libitum+25% PPLM:75% NLM (T5) and RGH ad libitum+100% NLM (T6). The supplement was given at 300g DM/head/day. Water and mineralized salt block were available free of choice. After 15 days of adaptation period 90 days of feeding trial and 7 days of digestibility trial were conducted with carcass parameters evaluation at the end. The CP content of RGH, WB, NSC, PPLM and NLM were 7.9, 18.6, 32.7, 23.0 and 28.2% of DM, respectively. Intake of supplement was higher (P<0.05) for T1 (299.4 g/day) than T2 (265.1 g/day), T3 (269.5 g/day) and T5 (257.5 g/day), but similar with T4 (280.5) and T6 (279 g/day). Total DM intake ranged 562.5-604.4 g/day and basal feed DM intake was not affected by supplementary diets P>0.05. The CP intake was higher (P<0.001) for goats in T5 and T6 than goats in T2 and T3. Moreover, the CP intake for T6 was higher (P<0.001) than T1, T4 and T5. The apparent DM digestibility for T6 was higher (P<0.05) than T1, T2, T4 and T5, while similar with T3. Apparent CP digestibility was for T1 (70.4%) and T6 (76.7%), was higher (P<0.001) than T2 (66.9%) and T5 (66.9%). Moreover, apparent CP digestibility for T6 was higher than T1, T3 (73.7%) and T4 (70.4%). Average daily gain (ADG) (40.1, 24.9, 37.9, 35.8, 22.8 and 43.5g/day SEM=3.88) for T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6, respectively, was not different (P>0.05) among treatments. Rib-eye area, hot carcass weight, feed conversion efficiency, and total edible products were not affected (P>0.05) by dietary treatments. Dressing percentage on the basis of slaughter weight and empty body weight was higher (P<0.05) for T6 than the T2, T3, T4 and T5. Based on partial budget analysis the use of sole NLM instead of concentrate mix and PPLM was displayed reduction of feed cost and increase of net return. In conclusion, supplementation of sole NLM instead of concentrate mix and PPLM result in similar performance of goats, but exhibit lower feed cost and increased net return and is recommended. However, all supplements used in this study induced favorable ADG and positive net return and thus can be employed in feeding systems of goat depending on their availability and relative cost