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Abstract:The most constraining factor in goat production in the tropics is underfeeding mainly attributed to limitations of feed both in quantity and quality. This study was conducted to assess the effect of supplementing different levels of air-dried Moringa stenopetala leaf (MSL) as a protein source on nutrient intake and growth performances of Arsi-Bale male goats. A total of 24 yearling goats with average initial body weight of 13.6 ± 0.25 kg were used in the study. The goats were blocked by live weight into four groups (n = 6 per group) and the groups were then randomly allocated into four supplemented treatments. All goats received a basal diet of natural grass hay ad libitum and 340 g/head/day concentrate. The treatments were the control diet with no supplementation (Treatment 1, T1) and diets supplemented with MSL at a rate of 120 g/head/day (Treatment 2, T2), 170 g/head/day (Treatment 3, T3) and 220 g/head/day (Treatment 4, T4). The duration of the experiment was 75 days. The results indicated that the average daily feed intake was (p < 0.001) higher in goats supplemented with T3 and T4 diets. The total dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein intakes of goats fed with T3 and T4 supplementations were (p < 0.001) also higher than those reared in T1 and T2 diets. Goats reared in T3 and T4 diets had lower (p < 0.05) feed conversion ratio than those fed with T1 and T2 diets. The final body weight in goats reared in T3 and T4 diets was 18.2 kg and 18.5 kg, respectively, being (p < 0.05) higher than those of T1 (15.8 kg) and T2 (16.3 kg). The average daily weight gain in goats fed with T3 OPEN ACCESSAgriculture 2015, 5 1184 and T4 diets was 111 and 114 g/goat/day, respectively, which was (p < 0.05) higher than those reared in the control (T1) (54.0 g/goat/day) and T2 (58.1 g/goat/day) diets. It can thus be concluded that goats reared at high level of MSL supplementation (T3 and T4) had better nutrient intake, feed conversion efficiency and growth performances, suggesting its potential as a good protein supplement to natural grass hay at the farmer's management level.

This study was conducted to evaluate the potential anthelminthic properties of extracts of leaves of indigenous browses (Acacia seyal, Acacia senegal, Acacia tortilis, Millettia ferruginea, and Vernonia amygadalina) based on three in vitro assays. Acetone extracts of browses at different concentrations (75 to 1200 μg/ml, for egg and larvae and 100mg/ml for an adult) were tested on three developmental stages of Haemonchus contortus (eggs, infective larvae, and adult worms) using egg hatch assay (EHA), larval migration inhibition assay (LMIA) and adult worm motility inhibition assay (AMIA). Significant effects were obtained with all five browses but differences were observed depending on the parasitic stages. The effects of five browse extracts on egg hatching were concentration-dependent, the highest (P<0.05) egg hatch inhibition rate was observed at 1200 μg/ml concentration for all browses. All extracts had a higher effect (P<0.01) than that of the negative control, phosphate buffer saline (PBS). In contrast, no concentration-response relationship was found for infective larvae and adult worms, although more potent effects were observed with the highest concentrations. The LMI rate (70%) induced by Vernonia  amygadalina extract, at a concentration of 300 μg/ml, was the highest (P<0.05) of all other browses, even at higher concentrations. The highest LMI rate (62%) induced by Acacia senegal extract at higher concentration, was lower than that of LMI rate (70%) induced by Vernonia amygadalina, at 300 μg/ml concentration. Vernonia amygadalina was found to be highly and rapidly effective against adult worms inducing the highest mortality rate (90%) as soon as 4 hrs after incubation. Overall, the in vitro results suggest that these five  browses do possess anti-parasitic properties and Vernonia amygadalina showed the most effective anti-parasitic property. These effects remain to be confirmed through in vivo study.

A feeding trial was conducted for 84 days followed by 7 days of fecal collection to determine performance and also digestibility of nutrients at Maichew ATVET College in Tigray, North Ethiopia using 24 yearling intact male local sheep grouped into six blocks of four sheep based on their initial body weight and each block assigned to each of the four treatments diets. The basal diet was composed of natural pasture hay (ad libitum), wheat bran (309 g/sheep/d) and salt (3 g/head/d) and test diet (graded levels of wet brewery grain by-product=WBGB). Treatment diets were: T1 (basal diet+0g WBGB/head/day), T2 (basal diet + 210g WBGB/head/day), T3 (basal diet + 280g WBGB/head/day) and T4 (basal diet + 350g WBGB/head/day). ANOVA of data was conducted using General Linear Model (GLM) procedures of SAS; and means compared using Tukey’s HSD test (p<0.05). Dry matter, organic matter and crude protein intake and digestibility significantly increased (p<0.05) with increasing levels of supplementation. Higher average daily body weight and feed conversion efficiency (p≤ 0.05) were recorded in T4 followed by T3, T2, and T1. Hot carcass weight (9-11 kg), rib eye muscle area as a sign of degree of muscling (7.20 -10.70cm2 ), net return and marginal rate of return (MRR) were higher (p<0.05) in supplemented than in T1 fed sheep, with best results in T4. It can be recommended that sheep can be supplemented up to 124 g dried BGB or 350 g WBGB because it gave better body weight and carcass performances and MRR.