Department of Animal Science, N.D. University of Agriculture & Technology, Kumarganj-224 229, India
Online published on 29 December, 2011.
Nutritive value of Casuarina (Casuarina equisetifolia) leaves were determined by feeding to 5 barbari kids. The leaves were quite palatable having DM intake 5,34±0.28 kg/100 kg body weight. The digestion coefficients of DM, CP, CF, EE, NFE, T-CHO, OM, NDF, ADF, ADL, cellulose, and hemicellulose were 50.64±1.06, 39.92±1.30, 52.72±1.02, 50.05±1.08, 56.00±0.95, 55.08±0.97, 53.03±l.02, 38.84±1.33, 31.97±1.47, 21.27±1.70, 49.25±1.09 and 74.24±0.56, respectively. The average gain in body weight was 34.83±0.98 g/d. All the kids showed positive balance for N but the balances of Ca and P were negative. The DCP and TDN contents of the leaves were 4.41 and 54.80% respectively, suggesting that the Casuarina leaves could serve as a good fodder for maintenance in goats.
