Sarwatt et al., 2004. Livest. Res. Rural. Dev., 16 (6): 38

Two experiments were carried out to evaluate the nutritive value of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM). In experiment 1, the effect of substituting Moringa oleifera for cottonseed cake (CSC) on milk yield and composition of cross bred cows fed napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) as basal diet was determined. In experiment 2, dry matter degradability (DMD) of MOLM and CSC in the rumen was determined using a nylon bag technique. Other components of supplementary rations were maize bran and minerals. Dietary treatments used in this experiment were 0.0, 0.55, 1.11 and 1.65 kg DM/day of MOLMas substitute for CSC levels of 1.23, 0.82, 0.41 and 0.00 kg DM. Four individually confined lactating dairy cows with body weights averaging 347 ± 22 kg were allocated to four dietary treatments in a balanced 4 x 4 Latin Square Design. When CSC was substituted with MOLM milk yield was significantly increased. There were no effects of substituting CSC with MOLM on total solids, fat, milk protein and ash contents of the milk. MOLM had higher DMD (820 g/kgDM) than CSC (697 g/kg DM). DM degradability of MOLM was higher than CSC. It is concluded that up to 1.65 kg DM of MOLM could substitute for 1.23 CSC in dairy cow diets without affecting the milk yield. For best performance a combination of the two with lower levels of MOLM gave higher milk yield than either protein source fed alone.