Nutrient Intake and Digestibility of Red Sokoto Goats Fed Different Forms of Neem Leaves, Supplemented with a Concentrate Diet

Abstract

The study evaluated the nutrient intake and digestibility of red sokoto goats fed different forms of neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves and a concentrate diet. The experiment was carried out at the small ruminant’s unit of the Teaching and Research Farm, Federal University of Kashere. Gombe state, Nigeria. Sixteen red sokoto goats (bucks) aged between 7 to 9 months, with weight range of 6.8 to 7.2 kg were allotted into four (4) treatments of four goats each. The goats were fed fresh neem leaves, neem leaves hay, neem leaves meal and neem leaves silage at 300g/goat/day for treatments 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively; and concentrate diet at 125g/goat/day for a duration of sixty-three (63) days. Water was served ad-libitum. The goats were housed individually in pens the nutrient intake was calculated from the proximate composition of the diets and the neem leaves as well as the feed intake records. In the last 2 weeks of the experiment, the goats were fitted with harnesses forfeacal collection, a seven-day adjustment period was allowed for the goats to get used to the harnesses, feacal collection lasted for 7 days, the collected feaces were prepared appropriately and then analyzed for their proximate composition, using the method of AOAC, (2000), and thereafter used to calculate the dry matter and nutrient digestibility. The experimental design was a completely randomized design; data were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance. The significant means were separated by Least Significant Difference using SAS 9.4, 2018 version statistical package. The concentrate and the neem leaves were analyzed for their proximate composition using the method of AOAC 2000. Values for nutrient intake were all not significantly (P>0.05) different except dry matter intake (46.18 – 51.45g/day/W 0.75).The digestibility values were not significantly (P<0.05) different except that of nitrogen free extracts (61.93 – 66. 79). Conclusively, fresh Neem leaves (T1) was the most preferred by the goats in terms of intake, it also had the best array of nutrients. The fresh neem leaves (T1) evaluated was recommended for feeding goats especially during the long dry season. Further research should be carried out using other species of ruminants such as sheep and cattle.