Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility and Haematological Parameters of Red Sokoto Goats Fed Sabara (Guiera senegalensis) Leaf Meal

The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effects of Sabara leaf meal on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and haematological parameters of red Sokoto goats. Bucks were managed in a complete ran-domized design with 4 treatments and 3 replicates. The Sabara leaf meal (SLM) was fed at concentration of 0, 10, 20 and 30% in treatment 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively. The experimental diets and clean drinking water were offered to the animals ad libitum. Initial body weights were all similar. Bucks fed diets with 10 and 20% Sabara leaf meal (SLM) gained weight (P < 0.05) faster than those fed the control diets. Feed intake differ significantly (P < 0.001) among the groups. T4 recorded superior feed intake compared to T1, T2 and T3. Body weight and feed conversion ratio (FCR) increased with levels of Sabara leaf meal (SLM) in the diets up to a point (T3) with bucks on 20% Sabara leaf meal (SLM) being heavier. The metabolizable en-ergy (CP), crude fibre (CF), ether extracts (EE) and nitrogen free extract (NFE) digestibilities also differed significantly (P < 0.05) among the treatments. Similarly, the DM, CF, CP and EE digestibilities of T3 were superior to the control (T1). Hemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemo-globin (MCH) and platelets differed (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) among treatments. However, packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were not significantly (P > 0.05) affected. The white blood cells differentials were slightly different between treatment groups but all remains within the reference range. The results of this study indicated that Sabara leaf meal could be used as feed resources to raise goats. The levels of least Sabara leaf meal (SLM) from 20 to 30% gave high growth performance and better benefits without adverse effect on biological per-formance. More research is needed to evaluate Sabara leaf meal on growth performance and nutrient utiliza-tion by goats.