Effects of supplements of mimosa leaf meal and para grass on the performance of local cattle fed a basal diet of urea-treated rice straw

Nguyen Thi Thu Hong

An Giang University, Vietnam,
hongangiang@gmail.com

 

Twelve Yellow cattle (120–150 kg live weight) were distributed to 6 farm households in Binhhoa commune Chauthanh district, An Giang province. A comparison was made of urea-treated straw supplemented with Mimosa meal (UTM) or local grasses (UTG). The experiment  lasted 3 months with measurements of live weight gain and feed conversion.

The urea-treated straw was offered ad libitum. In treatment UTM, the straw was supplemented with mimosa leaf meal at the rate of 6 g DM/kg live weight. For treatment UTG, fresh grass was harvested locally and fed at a level to provide the same crude protein intake as from the mimosa leaf meal.

Growth rates of cattle with supplement of Mimosa foliage were higher (389 g/day) than those supplemented with local grass (355 g/day).

Key words: Intake, conversion, growth