ABSTRACT

Four West Africa Dwarf (WAD) bucks averaging 11kg and between 12-15 months of age were used to study the intake and digestibility of three browse species supplemented with a basal grass diet. The leaves of Maranthocloa flexuosa, Dalbergia saxalitis, Pterocarpus santalinoides and Panicum maximum were harvested and fed as fresh soilage to the animals. Daily feed intake and refusals were recorded, faecal and urinay out put were also recorded daily. Weekly weights of the animals were taken. The results indicated that the diets contained 25.5, 27.4, 23.0 and 24 percent dry matter (DM), 19.06, 17.9 18.59 and 18.55 percent crude protein (CP) and 15.69, 16.18, 15.73, and 16.24 percent crude fibre (CF) respectively for diet. A, B, C and D. Apparent DM, CP, and CF digestibility coefficient compared favorably in all the treatments. The digestibility values for DM were 57, 58, 57, and 54 percent for the respective diets. Total Nitrogen (N) intake, retained—N and absorbed—N were similar in all the diets (P>0.05). The value for N-intake (glday) rose from 9.7 in diet D to 10.25 in diet B. All animals had positive N-balance. The N-digestibility values were 85.97, 88.29, 86.31 and 87.63 percent respectively for diets A, B, C, and D. Generally, dry-matter intake and apparent nutrient digestibility were improved in the animals fed the browse-supplemented diets.