Dry Matter and Nitrogen Degradation Parameters of Tropical Tree Foliages Eaten by West African Dwarf Sheep
Abstract
Foliages from Ficus exasperata, Spondias monbin, Tectonia grandis and Terminalia catappa were evaluated to measure rumen degradation characteristics of their DM and N contents using nylon bag technique. Effective and potential degradabilities of dry matter of F. exasperata were much higher than those of other trees. Whereas, effective and potential degradabilities of N were highest for F. exasperata and lowest for T. catappa. The leaves of S. monbin, T. grandis and T. catappa appeared to be potential sources of rumen undegraded protein to the small intestine which could probably be exploited for the benefits of ruminants.
Keywords
Tropical tree foliages, degradation, dry matter, nitrogen, ruminants, chemical composition
