The Feeding Value Of Dialium Guineese As A Supplement To West African Dwarf Sheep Fed Natural Grass Hay

Abstract

The feeding value of Dialium guineense leaves was evaluated using eight two-year-old West African Dwarf sheep fed natural grass hay. Four of the animals were fistulated and used for ruminal ammonia and volatile fatty acid (VFA) determination. Dried leaves of Dialium guineense were offered at two levels (25% and 50% of dry matter (DM) requirement) as supplements to a basal hay diet. Rumen liquor was sampled one hour before and one, three and five hours earlier feeding. Sheep fed the control diet had a higher (p<0.05) ruminal ammonia concentration than those fed the diet supplemented with 25% Dialium guineense (D25%). Similarly, ruminal ammonia concentration was higher (p<O.O5) in sheep fed the control diet than those fed the diet supplemented with 50% Dialium guineense (D50%). However, the difference between sheep fed D25% or D50% was not significant (p>0.05). The differences between the sampling periods were high (p<0.05). The VFA concentrations of sheep fed the control diet was superior (p<O.05) to those fed the D25% and D50% diets. However, there was a difference (p<0.05) between the VFA concentrations of sheep fed D25% and D5O% diets. It was concluded that Dialium guineense, inspite of its numerous benefits as a multi-purpose tree showed a very poor ruminal ammonia concentration. Its VFA concentrations decreased linearly (p<0.05) with increasing level of supplementation. This poor performance could exclude Dialium guineense as a promising fodder tree and is probably due to its high condensed tannin content.