TY  - JOUR
T1  - Effect of Combined Levels of <I>Panicum maximum</I> and <I>Gliricidia sepium</I> on Nutrient Digestibilities and Utilization by West African Dwarf Goats Fed Cassava Offal Based Concentrate
AU - , O.O. Eniolorunda AU - , O.A. Jinadu AU - , M.A. Ogungbesan AU - , T.O. Bawala 
JO  - Research Journal of Animal Sciences
VL  - 2
IS  - 5
SP  - 149
EP  - 153
PY  - 2008
DA  - 2001/08/19
SN  - 1993-5269
DO  - rjnasci.2008.149.153
UR  - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=rjnasci.2008.149.153
KW  - Panicum maximum
KW  -Gliricidia sepium
KW  -Cassava offal
KW  -digestibility
KW  -utilization
AB  - West African Dwarf (WAD) does were used to investigate the effect of combined levels of mixed forages on the utilization of cassava offal based diets. Thirty goats weighing between 5.82 and 5.92 kg and with ages from 4-7 months were assigned to 5 dietary treatments in a completely randomized design experiment with 6  animals  per  treatment. Animals  were  housed in individual pens and offered the experimental diet daily for 98 days. The 5 dietary treatments were: G 0: 100% <I>Panicum</I> <I>maximum</I> + concentrate; G 25: 75% <I>P.</I> <I>maximum</I> + 25% <I> Gliricidia</I> <I> sepium</I>  +  concentrate; <SUB>G50</SUB>:  50% <I> P.</I> <I> maximum</I>  +  50% <I> G.</I> <I>sepium</I> + concentrate; G  75: 25% <I>P.</I> <I>maximum</I> + 75% <I>G. sepium</I> + concentrate and G 100: 100% <I>G.</I> <I>sepium</I> + concentrate. Feed intake, growth rate, digestibility and nitrogen balance were monitored. The highest daily total DMI (547.65 g DM day <SUP>1</SUP>) was recorded in G0 and the  values  were  significantly (p&lt;0.05) different among treatment means. DM, CP NDF, ADF and  ADL  intake  (g  kg<SUP>0.75</SUP>day 1) were (p&lt;0.05) significantly different among treatment means. Animals fed G 75 and G 100 had the highest weight gains. The apparent digestibilities of DM, CP, NDF and ADL were generally high in all treatment groups but were highest in G 100. Nitrogen balance was highest for G 100, but the  percentage  of  N  retained  w as  highest for G 50. Results indicated that feeding <I>G.</I> <I>sepium</I> together with <I>P.</I> <I>maximum</I>, supplemented with cassava offal based concentrate could lead to improved weight gain, feed efficiency, digestibility and nitrogen utilization in WAD goats.
ER  -