Nutrient Composition and Metabolic Energy of Different Fruit Tree Leaves as Feeding Sources for Ruminants

Abstract

The need for roughage in the animal nutrition industry has led to the search for various alternative roughage. In this context, as a result of the research, tree leaves have the potential to be considered as a nutritious and balanced forage source for animals. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the usability of apple (Malus domestica), apricot (Prunus armeniaca), cherry (Prunus avium), grape (Vitis vinifera), and umber mulberry (Morus rubra) leaves in ruminant nutrition. As a result of the research, nutritional contents of tree leaves (dry matter, crude protein, crude ash, crude oil, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, tannin), in vitro gas, carbon dioxide and methane gas production, in vitro gas post-production rumen fluid volatile fatty acid contents were found to be different from each other (P