ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to evaluate the nutritional potential and relative intake                                    of Panicum maximum, Pennisetum purpureum, Andropogon tectorum and Cynodon nlemfuensis by West African Dwarf goats fed with these forages. Six bucks (11 – 12 months old and 6.0 – 8.1 kg weight) were used for the study, which lasted for 14 days. The experiment was conducted using the Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The bucks were first quarantined for 21 days during which they were treated against ecto- and endo-parasites before they were moved to separate cement-floored pens for the experiment. All the forages were harvested in the evening and kept overnight before being fed daily to each buck simultaneously from 9:00 am and water provided ad libitum. Results showed that the grass forages differed significantly (P<0.05) in dry matter (DM), proximate compositions, mineral fractions in addition to energy values, Relative Feed Value (RFV) and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD). Panicum maximum recorded the highest DM (91.27%), ash (14.26%), EE (1.06%), Relative Preference Index (RPI) (100%) and average daily DMI (592.84 g) and CF (12.63%) and IVOMD (53.43%). Andropogon tectorum recorded the highest CP (12.51%), DCP (8.12%), P (0.338%), Ca (0.297%), Mg (0.374%), K (0.970%), Na (0.217%), Fe (197.71 mg/kg), Cu (9.29 mg/kg), Zn (46.90 mg/kg), Mn (17.40 mg/kg), Co (33.78 mg/kg), Neutral Detergent Fibre (NDF) (67.36%), Acid Detergent Lignin (ADL) (17.23%), ME (7.06 MJ/KgDM) and Total Digestible Nutrient (TDN) (48.37%) and the lowest EE (0.80%), Nitrogen Free Extract (NFE) (49.84%) and RFV (73.05%). Pennisetum purpureum had the highest hemicellulose (24.51%) and RFV (90.19%) and the lowest DM (89.45%), Co (21.20 mg/kg), NDF (61.74%), ADF (37.23%), ADL (11.78%), cellulose (24.46%), ME (5.41 MJ/KgDM) and TDN (39.02%). Cynodon nlemfuensis recorded the highest NFE (53.94%), CF (13.76%) and IVOMD (54.19%) and the lowest CP (10.28%), DCP (6.05%), ash (11.52%), P (0.307%), Ca (0.275%), Mg (0.328%), K (0.933%), Na (0.204%), Fe (192.25 mg/kg), Cu (5.38 mg/kg), Zn (38.96 mg/kg), Mn (11.81 mg/kg), RPI (19%) and average daily DMI (136.15 g). Although the ash, EE, P, Mg, K, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn and Co contents were within the ranges of acceptable quantities for daily goat maintenance and growth; the low CP, Ca, Cu, TDN, RFV and IVOMD coupled with high NDF and ADF contents indicated that the forages were of low quality. The relative preference index and daily average DMI of the forages followed the pattern (Panicum maximum>Andropogon tectorum>Pennisetum purpureum>Cynodon nlemfuensis), which was believed to be largely influenced by their morphology and chemical composition. The RPI, daily average DMI and daily average nutrient intakes from Panicum maximum were significantly higher (P<0.05) than those of Andropogon tectorum, Pennisetum purpureum in that order. The average DMI of the grass forages correlated positively with ash (0.5428)/CP (r = 0.4644)/EE (0.8014*) but negatively with CF (-0.3731). It was concluded that Panicum maximum and Andropogon tectorum have high potential for goat nutrition, while Pennisetum purpureum and Cynodon nlemfuensis have moderate and low potential respectively.