EFFECTS OF Cajanus cajan LEAF MEAL IN TOTAL MIXED RATIONS ON NITROGEN  UTILIZATION OF WEST AFRICAN DWARF RAMS FED Panicum maximum

I. A.  Adebisi; A. B. Ajibike; T. O. Muraina; O. O. Okunlola; O. Oladepo; H. O. Amusa; J. A. Alalade

doi:10.51791/njap.vi.4814

Authors

I. A. Adebisi Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, P. M. B 10, Igbo-ora, Oyo State, Nigeria.
A. B. Ajibike Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, P. M. B 10, Igbo-ora, Oyo State, Nigeria.
T. O. Muraina Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, P. M. B 10, Igbo-ora, Oyo State, Nigeria.
O. O. Okunlola Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, P. M. B 10, Igbo-ora, Oyo State, Nigeria.
O. Oladepo Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, P. M. B 10, Igbo-ora, Oyo State, Nigeria.
H. O. Amusa Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, P. M. B 10, Igbo-ora, Oyo State, Nigeria.
J. A. Alalade Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, P. M. B 10, Igbo-ora, Oyo State, Nigeria.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51791/njap.vi.4814

Keywords:

Tropical grass, Cajanus cajan leaf meal, WAD rams, Nitrogen utilization

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess the nitrogen utilization of WAD growing rams fed diets containing Cajanus cajan leaf meal (CCLM) at varied inclusion levels of 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% as supplement feed. Sixteen (16) West African Dwarf rams aged between 6 - 9 months with an average body weight of 9.00 - 12.00kg were used in assessing the nitrogen utilization value of growing rams fed varying levels of Cajanus cajan leaf meal to replace palm kernel cake as a protein source in total mixed rations fed Panicum maximum basal diet for 56days feeding trial in Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Parameters taking at the end of the experiment were faecal and urine to determined nitrogen intake, faecal nitrogen, urinary nitrogen, and nitrogen utilization for each treatment. Rams fed on diet T1 had the highest significant (p<0.05) difference of nitrogen intake (50.01g/d), while the lowest value for nitrogen intake was recorded in diet T2 (45.22g/d). Nitrogen utilization increased significantly (p<0.05) from 69.50 (T2) to 70 78.04 (T3). Rams fed diet T2 had the lowest nitrogen
balance (31.43g/d) and the highest value (37.34g/d) was recorded in the T3 diet. Rams fed diet T2 had the highest faecal nitrogen value (12.14g/d). However, the animals fed the T1 diet had the highest value (2.08g/d) of urinary nitrogen. Results obtained showed that Cajanus cajan leaf meal at 10% inclusion levels in the concentrate diet enhanced the nitrogen utilization without any deleterious effects on the growing rams.