MILK PRODUCTION AND FEED CONVERSION RATIO OF SOKOTO GUDALI COWS FED MORINGA LEAVES ENSILED WITH CASSAVA PEELS

Abstract

Ruminant feeding during the dry season is limited by low protein levels in available forage. Moringa Leaf (ML) contain high level of Crude Protein (CP) that could be used to upgrade low nitrogen ingredients and ensiled for dry season feeding of animals. The use of ML as silage mixture with Cassava Peels (CSP) for feeding catile is not adequately documented. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate the use of ML and CSP silages for milk production in Sokoto Gudali cows,Silage mixtures of ML-CSPwere made in ratios 80:20, 60:40 and 40:60. Average daily intake (ADI), milkyield (MY) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) in cows offered ML-CSP silages were determined using three lactating Sokoto Gudali cows in a 28 daycross-over design and a wear out period of 7 days. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA, p = 0.05 taken as level of significance. The ADI of cows fed MLCSP (80:20, 60:40, 40:60) silages were 8.38, 10.08 and 11.36kgDM: MY of 4.80, 4.40 and 5.30L/day and FCR 1.78, 1.94 and 2.63 respectively.The ADI, MY and FCR differed significantly (P>0.05) among dietary treatments. The ADI was highest for ML-CSP (40:60) silage while the least consumption was in ML-CSP (80:20). Cows fed ML-CSP (60:40) diet had the highest MY while ML-CSP (40:60) had the lowest. The best FCR was however obtained with ML-CSP (80:20) while ML-CSP (40:60) silage was the least.Moringa oleifera/cassava peels mixture of 60:40 improved the milk yield of Sokoto Gudali cow.