Garcia et al., 2008. Zootecnia Trop., 26 (3): 191-196
Aceptabilidad de follajes arboreos tropicales por vacunos, ovinos y caprinos en el estado Trujillo, Venezuela
Preference by cattle, sheep and goats for twelve foliage species (Chlorophora tinctoria, Morus alba, Pithecellobium pedicellare, Gliricidia sepium, Guazuma ulmifolia, Cordia alba, Trichantera gigantea, Tithonia diversifolia, Leucaena leucocephala, Moringa oleifera, Azadirachta indica, and Samanea saman) in Trujillo state, Venezuela were evaluated. Chemical composition (CP, GE, NDF, total polyphenols, condensed tannins, tannins precipitating proteins, and total terpenoids), ruminal degradability, and intake measurements were determined using a latin square design with evaluation period of twelve days. The preferences of cattle with sheep and sheep with goats were related. No relationships of cattle and sheep intake with chemical composition of the offer were found. However, significant differences in the majority of nutritional variable were observed. Goats preferred the foliage with smaller NDF content and low total polyphenols concentration. C. tinctoria, M. alba and P. pedicellare, followed by G. ulmifolia and C. alba foliage presented the best potentialities. The results showed the importance of preference assay for the selection of species with fodder potential for ruminant production systems.