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

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 (P0.05. The CP intake was higher (P