The Potential Of Acacia Karroo Leaf Meal As A Protein Supplement For Fattening Goats

Abstract

Acacia karroo is one of the most widespread and abundant indigenous tree legume species in Southern Africa. The tree possesses positive attributes such as high growth rates, drought tolerance, adaptation to acidic infertile soils and resistance to large temperature variations. In the recent past, A. karroo was deemed to be a severe encroacher, which adversely affected land utilisation and rangeland productivity. Research attention has been diverted from its riddance as a weed to its utilisation as an animal feed. Widespread adoption of feeding strategies based on A. karroo was mainly impeded by the presence of thorns and tannins. The objective of the study was to determine the effects of A. karroo leaf meal as a supplement on the growth performance feed intake, feed conversion ratio and body condition score of boar goats. Sixteen 3-month-old Boer goats were kept at the University of Namibia, Neudamm Campus farm. At the beginning of the experiment the goats had a mean body weight of 18.52 kg ± 0. 743 kg (mean ± S.E.) and a mean body condition score of (BCS) of 3.31 ± 0.176 (mean ± S.E.). From birth until weaning the kids were kept on natural pastures with their mothers. The goats were housed in an open sided barn for a period of 60 days, and were fed 600 g/head/day of pellets and Lucerne covering their maintenance and growth needs. For the purpose of the experiment, the goats were randomly divided into four treatment groups of four goats each. The goats were fed on A. karroo leaf meal at different levels 0%, 10%, 20% and 25% respectively. The effect of A. karroo supplement on growth performance (ADG), voluntary feed intake (VFI), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and body condition score on Boer goats was determined. There was a significant effect (P