Effect of dried Elaeis guineense supplementation on nitrogen and energy partitioning of WAD sheep fed a basal hay diet

The inclusion level of dried Elaeis guineense supplementation on nitrogen and energy partitioning was evaluated using 12 two-year-old West African Dwarf (WAD) sheep fed a basal hay diet. Six of the sheep were fistulated ruminally and used for rumen pH, ammonia and volatile fatty acid determination in the fluid. Dried leaves of E. guineense were offered as supplement at two levels (25 and 50% of DMI, diets D25% and D50%, respectively) to a basal hay diet. Rumen liquor was sampled 1 h before feeding and 1, 3 and 5 h after the morning feeding. The sheep were also subjected to nitrogen and energy balance trials. The CP content of the control, D25% and D50% diets were (131.0, 121.0 and 111.0 g kg−1), respectively, and their energy digestibility amounted to (0.625, 0.533 and 0.482), respectively. In the fermentation profile trial, rumen pH decreased (P < 0.05) with level of supplementation, with diet D50% having the lowest (P < 0.05) pH value. Diet D25% had a higher (P < 0.05) ruminal ammonia concentration than both the control and D50% diets, respectively. D25% had a superior (P < 0.05) volatile fatty acid (VFA) than the controls. Nitrogen intake decreased (P < 0.05) with supplementation level. Faecal-N increased (P < 0.05) with level of supplementation while N-digestibility decreased (P < 0.05). Organic matter digestibility (OMD), decreased (P < 0.05) with supplementation. Faecal energy increased (P < 0.05) with supplementation while methane energy decreased at the higher supplementation level (P < 0.05). The lowest (P < 0.05) heat loss of 709 kJ day−1 was observed on diet D50% and this was about 45% of the total energy intake. Animals in diet D50% lost 8.4% of the energy retained in fat and protein. Although E. guineense had a CT, CP and a relatively high GE content of (18 g kg−1, 90 g kg−1 and 19.8 kJ g−1 DM), respectively, dried leaves of E. guineense is of low fodder value and should be used sparingly.