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Livestock-Based Farming Systems, Renewable  Resources and the Environment

  

Effect on feed intake and live weight gain of growing goats of supplementing a basal diet of Tithonia diversifolia with foliages differing in protein solubility  

Ngo Hong Chin, Khuc Thi Hue and Nguyen Ngoc Anh

Goat and Rabbit Research Center, Hanoi, Vietnam

Abstract

Bach Thao – Co goat breed with an initial weight of 18.1 kg and 5.5 months of age were used to study the effects of feeding Tithonia diversifolia as combinative diets on feed intake and live weight gain of growing goats, in a growth trial during 84 days.. The treatments were four diets containing Tithonia foliage as the basal feed and supplemented with fresh cassava foliage (TD-CF), guinea grass (TD-GG), banana leaves (TD-BL) or jackfruit foliage (TD-JF). Dry matter intake ranged from 29 to 36 g/kg body weight. There was a significant difference between treatments was observed in live weight gain, which was 84, 74 and 65 and 62 g for TD-JF, TD-CF, TD-BL and TD-GG, respectively.  

Figure 1: The intake of the goats

Figure 2: Live weight gain of the goats

 

Key words: Tithonia diversifolia, jackfruit leaf, guinea grass, cassava foliage, banana leaves and live weight gain