Ameliorative effects of Ficus and Harrisonia diets on Small East African goat meat yield
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Date
2017
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Small Ruminant Research
Abstract
The effect of supplements based on Ficus natalensis and Harrisonia abyssinica foliages on intake, growth and
carcass yield of tethered goats was assessed on-farm using fourty growing intact male indigenous goats. Five
diets were tested, which included the control (tethering on natural pastures), tethering supplemented with
molasses (CM) and the three diets whereby tethering was supplemented with molasses as well as F. natalensis and
H. abyssinica as follows: Harrisonia⁄ molasses (HM), Ficus⁄molasses (FM) and Ficus⁄Harrisonia⁄molasses (FHM).
The supplements were formulated to supply crude protein (CP) and energy levels required for an average daily
gain of about 50 g/day. Four farms in the same geographical location were used. Each farm had all the five diets
with two goats per diet. The goats were tethered during the day (10:00–18:00 h) and the supplements offered
overnight (after tethering). The dry matter (DM) intake from tethering ranged between 124 and 162 g/day, and
was not affected (P > 0.05) the basal DM intake. However, the total DM and CP intakes were increased
(P < 0.05) by supplementation with the browse foliages. The total DM and CP intakes were highest (P < 0.05)
for FM (572 and 91 g/day, respectively) and FHM (638 and 102 g/day, respectively). Compared with the
control, supplementation with browse foliages increased (P < 0.05) the average daily gain, hot carcass weight
and dressing percentage by up to 37.2, 2.3 and 6%, respectively. Average daily gain was 17, 34, 45, 52 and 54 g/
day for control, CM, FM, HM and FHM, respectively. The hot carcass weight was 6.9, 8.2, 8.8, 9.1 and 9.2 kg for
control, CM, FM, HM and FHM, respectively. In conclusion, Ficus natalensis and Harrisonia abyssinica foliages
have the potential to be used as low cost protein supplements in low-input goat feeding systems. However, there
is need to establish best presentation methods of the browse foliages to the goats.
Description
Keywords
Carcass yield, Growth rate, Indigenous goats, Tethering, Ficus natalensis, Harrisonia abyssinica
Citation
Nampanzira, D. K., Kabasa, J. D., Katongole, C. B., Okello, S., & Tabuti, J. R. S. (2017). Ameliorative effects of Ficus and Harrisonia diets on Small East African goat meat yield. Small Ruminant Research, 153, 189-193. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2017.06.014