Effect of feeding complete diets containing graded levels of Prosopis cineraria leaves on feed intake, nutrient utilization and rumen fermentation in lambs and kids

A study was conducted to assess the effect of feeding graded levels of tannin-containing Prosopis cineraria leaves in a complete feed mixture (CFM) on the performance of lambs and kids. Eighteen lambs and 18 kids of Malpura and Marwari breed, respectively of similar age (90 days) and body weight (11.0 kg), were randomly distributed in to three groups of six each. Each group was offered complete feed mixtures ad libitum in feeding troughs under group feeding system for 90 days. The concentrate component of CFM was from the commercial feed in mash form containing corn, soybean meal, wheat bran and de-oiled rice bran. Prosopis leaves were ground to pass through a 4mm sieve before being thoroughly mixed with required quantity of concentrate mash. CFMs contained graded levels of P. cineraria leaves. In, CFM-1, ratio of P. cineraria to concentrate mixture was 25: 75 (T1), whereas in CFM-2 and CFM-3, it was 50:50 (T2) and 75:25 (T3), respectively. The lambs in L1, L2 and L3 and kids in K1, K2 and K3, groups received CFM-1, CFM-2 and CFM-3, respectively. CP (g kg−1) was 182 in CFM-1, 162 in CFM-2 and 140 in CFM-3. P. cineraria leaves contained (g kg−1) CP 159, neutral detergent fibre (NDF) 567, acid detergent fibre (ADF) 360 and acid detergent lignin (ADL) 189 on dry matter (DM) basis. The extractable condensed tannin (CT; leucocyanidin equivalent), hydrolysable tannin (HT) and protein precipitation capacity (PPC) of the leaves (g kg−1) were 90.7, 3.4 and 111.5, respectively. DMI in L1 and L2 lambs were higher than their corresponding groups in kids, whereas it was reverse in L3 (more in kids than lambs). Significant difference in digestible crude protein (DCP) intake was recorded among the groups in both lambs and kids. In lambs, highest DCPI (g day−1) was recorded in L1 (93.3), as compared to L2 (82.2) and L3 (37.2), whereas in kids it was K2 (73.4), followed by K1 (69.2) and K3 (43.8). Significant difference in the digestibility of DM, CP and NDF were recorded among three groups in both species. Maximum nutrient digestibility was recorded in T1 followed by T2 and T3 in both lambs and kids. However, digestibility of all the nutrients was more in kids than that of lambs. Maximum ammonia-N, total N and trichloro acetic acid (TCA) precipitable N was recorded in T1 followed by T2 and T3 in both the species. However, there was no typical trend between the two species in rumen parameters. Blood haemoglobin (Hb) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) values were highest in T1 followed by T2 and T3 in both lambs and kids. After 90 days of intensive feeding, maximum weight gain was recorded in T2 as compared to that of T1 and T3 in both lambs and kids. Although L1 lambs performed better under high concentrate diet compared to K1 kids, weight gain in K2 and K3 kids were significantly higher compared to their counter part lambs. Similarwas the trend inADGalso. Itwas concluded that performanceof lambs and kids differed with the level of CT in their diet and kids performed better on high tannin diet as compared to that of lambs. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.