Effect of feeding processed cassava foliage on growth performance and parasite infestation of local goats in Laos

V Phengvichith and T R Preston

Research Management Division, National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute,
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, P. O. Box 811, Vientiane, Lao PDR
vanthong.p@nafri.org.la

Abstract 

Effect of feeding processed cassava foliage on growth performance and parasite infestation of goats were studied using local goats with an average initial body weight (BW) of 14.0 (0.5) kg. Thirty animals were allowed to graze freely during the day in the native pasture and were housed in individual pens at 17:00 h and then supplementing feeds were offered with various forage during the night. Supplementing feed were offered individually and accordingly to the treatments. Each treatment group consisted of 6 animals (3 males and 3 females) and were randomly allocated to five treatments, consisting of: (1) Free grazing without supplement (as control), (2) Free grazing + suplement with wilted cassava foliage (WCF); (3) Free garzing + suplement with ensilage cassava foliage (ESCF); (4) Free grazing + supplement with cassava foliage hay(CHF), and (5) Free grazing + supplement with fresh Guinea grass. There was no significant difference of the DM intake between goats fed Guinea grass supplement and processed cassava foliage. Daily live weight gain were 28.5 g/day for the group no supplement feeding, 38.6 g/day for the group fed grass supplement, 52.1 g/day, 54.4 g/day, 53.8 g/day for the group fed WCF, CHF and ESCF supplement, respectively (Figure 1). The animals on diet with processed cassava foliage had a higher ADG than the animals fed diet with grass and no supplement but there was no significant difference amongst animals fed processed cassava foliage. Number of parasite eggs in the faeces (EPG) from animals fed processed cassava foliage were significant lower than the animal fed grass supplement and no supplent. There was no significant difference amongst animal fed processed cassava foliage supplement, but the tendency of EPG from animals fed ensilage cassava folage was lowest at the latter stage.

Keywords: Guinea grass; Intake; Live weight gain; Local goats Parasite; Processed Cassava foliage

Figure 1. Effect on growth of grazing goats of supplementing them in the evening with Guinea grass or cassava foliage wilted, sun-dried or ensiled