Ndemanisho et al., 2007. Livest. Res. Rural Dev., 19 (8): 105

Rumen degradability, in vivo digestibility and intake studies were undertaken to evaluate the potential of Leucaena leucocephala, Albizia lebbeck, Moringa oleifera and Gliricidia sepium leaf meals compared with cotton seed cake as protein sources for goats. In a rumen dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) degradability study, hominy meal (HM), maize stover (MS), and isonitrogenous concentrates (220g CP/kg DM) based on Leucaena (LBC), Albizia (ABC), Moringa (MBC), Gliricidia (GBC) or cotton seed cake (CSC) were used in nylon bags, were inserted into the rumens of 4 fistulated heifers and removed after 2 to 96 hours. In an in vivo digestibility study, 20 goats were fed ad libitum maize stover, supplemented with either of the LBC, ABC, MBC, GBC or CSC concentrates. There were differences (P<0.05) in DM and CP degradability constants, both between energy feedstuffs (MS and HM) and between protein feedstuffs (leaf meals and CSC). The digestibility study showed differences in DM, organic matter (OM), CP, acid detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) intake between treatments (P<0.05), but the corresponding in vivo digestibility coefficients were similar across treatments (P>0.05), except for CP. Total intake varied from 302 ± 4.5 in ABC to 316 ± 0.7 g per day in CSC. Average growth rate for the goats across treatments was 26.5 ± 2.9 g/d and did not differ among treatments (P>0.05). These weights were rather lower than expected for crossbred dairy goats. This could be attributed to the short period involved in trial, that is not being long enough to allow for tangible growth rate but also due to the maize stover used as basal diet being of too low quality. However, the study suggests that the browses used could replace cotton seed cake as supplement for protein..