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Livestock-Based Farming Systems, Renewable Resources and the Environment |
An experiment was carried out in the experimental station of Hanoi University of Agriculture (Vietnam) to evaluate utilisable potential of Fortunes Empress (Faulownia fortunei) leaf in diet of local goat. Eight growing local goat (5 month old and 15,23 kg on average) were equally divided into 2 blocks corresponding two diet based on Fortunes Empress (Faulownia fortunei) leaf or elephant (Pennisetum Purpurrerum) grass. The chemical composition of Fortunes Empress leaf was 42,1% DM; 39,3% CF and 91,2% OM (on DM basic). Especially, the CP content ranged from 16-18% DM. In the feeding trial, higher intake level was found for diet containing Fortunes Empress leaf (229 g dry matter/goat/day compared with 202 g dry matter/goat/day for elephant grass basal diet). As a consequence, the daily weight gain was 72,4 and 61,2 g/goat/day for Fortunes Empress leaf basal diet and elephant grass basal diet, respectively. As a conclusion, elephant grass could be totally replaced by Fortunes Empress leaf in local goat diet.