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Livestock-Based Farming Systems, Renewable Resources and the Environment |
Expriments were located in Cantho City from March to October, 2011.
Expriment 1: A 4*4 Latin square design with weaned crossbred goats (Bachthao x local female) with an initial weight of 10 ± 1 kg were allotted including 4 periods corresponding to 4 diets: LTDQ: 70%% Para grass plus 30% Tithonia (DM basis) ; LTTG: 70%% Para grass plus 30% Trichanthera (DM basis); DQĐR: 70%% Para grass plus 15% Tithonia and 15% Psophocarpus scandens (DM basis); TGĐR: 70%% Para grass plus 15% Trichanthera and 15% Psophocarpus scandens (DM basis)
Expriment 2: Twelve weaned crossbred goats (Bachthao x local female) with an initial weight of 9.56 ± 1.29 kg and aged from 3 to 4 month were allocated to the 4 treatments with 3 replicates per treatment and the trial period lasted 90 days. Rations similar to experiment 1. Live weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio were determined. After 25, 55 and 85 days of experimental feeding a metabolism trial of 5 days duration was conducted on goats from each group in cages with provision for quantitative collection of faeces. Samples of feed offered, residue, faeces were collected from the metabolic trial subjected to preliminary treatment and preserved for subsequent chemical analysis.
Rument fluid pH reduced after feeding in all treatments but no significant difference. Ruminal ammonia-N was recorded to increase at time 2 hours after feeding. Daily nutrition intake were high in DQĐR treament. The best digestibility of DM, OM fell on treatment DQĐR and TGĐR (P<0.05) while crude protein digestibility were similar in four groups
There are improvements in intake, growth rate and digestibility when foliage of Trichanthera and Tithonia are mixed with that from Psophocarpus was further enhance performance.
Key words: Tithonia, Trichanthera, Psophocarpus scandens, rument fluid, feed intake, digestibility, growth, Bach Thao goat.