Bamikole, 2003. Livest. Res. Rural Dev., 15 (12)

An investigation of macro-minerals bioavailability from forages of nitrogen fertilized Guinea grass (Panicum maximum, NFG), Guinea grass-Verano stylo (Stylosanthes hamata) mixture (GVSM) and unfertilized Guinea grass (UFG) was carried out, using fifteen West African dwarf goats with mean body weight of 7.61 ± 0.44 kg. The forages were six-weeks old and contained from 6.19 to 11.8 g crude protein/100g DM). Calcium was best utilized in GVSM with the respective intake, digestibility, balance and retention values of 2.50 g/d, 35.6%, 0.68 g/d and 27.30 %. The utilization of Mg, Na, and Cl were best in NFG, having an intake of 1.34 g/d, balance of 0.45 g/d and retention value of 33.76 % for Mg with corresponding values of 0.056 g/d, 0.016 g/d and 27.99 % for Na as well as 0.33 g/d, 0.10 g/d and 29.01 % for Cl. Potassium was well utilized in all forages with no significant variation observed. Sulphur utilization was poor and no improvement was evident due to the grass treatment. Generally, the results indicated that the strategy of applying nitrogen fertilizer to grass could be used to achieve better utilization of more macro-minerals in forages than legume incorporation into grass.