Evaluation of calliandra callothyrsus, gliricidia sepium,leucaemia leucocephala and sesbania sesban as sole diets for growing goats

Abstract

A study to determine voluntary feed intake and body weight change of growing goats fed wilted twigs and leaves of Calliandra callothyrsus, Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala and Sesbania sesban was conducted at the university of Zambia, School of Agricultural Science field station. 8 female goats with average weight range of 22 to 32.6kg were fed on randomly allotted wilted twigs and leaves of Calliandra callothyrsus, Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala and Sesbania sesban in a 2,4 by 4 Latin square design with four feeding periods lasting 15 days each. The effect of feed type on dry matter intake was highly significant (p<0.01), goats consumed highest (1306g) levels of Gliricidia sepium, followed by Leucaena leucocephala (976g) and then Sesbania sesban (663g) and the least was Calliandra callothyrsus (570g).There was no significant effect of type of feed on body weight (p<0.05), Gliricidia sepium had 25.93kg, Sesbania sesban had 25.43kg, Calliandra callothyrsus had 25.14kg and the least was in Leucaena leucocephala with 24.37kg. The results of this study indicate that Gliricidia sepium is the most preferred diet among the four feeds, followed hy Leucaena leucocephala while Calliandra callothyrsus was the least preferred