The effect of leucaena hay as a source of effective fibre and nutrients in diets with forage palm for finishing sheep in semi‐arid regions

Abstract

The forage palm (Nopalea cochenillifera 'Miúda') is well adapted to the climate of semi-arid regions and a strategic source of water and energy for ruminant animals (Pinho et al., 2018). It has low levels of dry matter (DM) (142.0 g/kg), crude protein (CP) (33.8 g/kgDM) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) (267.0 g/kgDM), and a high proportion of non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC), 567.0 g/kgDM (Cardoso et al., 2019).Supplying forage palm as exclusive feed to ruminants can lead to acidosis, a metabolic disorder which results in diarrhoea and weight loss (Tegegne et al., 2007), requiring correction of the effective NDF in the diet to maintain the activities of chewing, rumination, saliva flow and ruminal pH buffering (Li et al., 2014), with positive results in preventing the depression of DM intake, ruminal peristaltism, microbial production and fibre digestibility (Vieira et al., 2008).There are several sources of effective fibre which have the potential for use in diets of forage palm. Sunflower or sorghum silage, and hay from leucaena, pigeon pea or elephant grass are good alternatives for supplying effective fibre in diets of forage palm for sheep in semi-arid regions (Wanderley et al., 2012).

Levels of leucaena hay associated with cactus pear in diets for crossbred steers

“…However, despite the lower DMI of animals with 70% hay, the nitrogen accretion in animal's body, which indicates weight gain, it was not altered by treatments. Similarly, Moreira et al (2020), evaluating different proportions of cactus pear and leucaena hay in the diet of rams, did not nd differences in nitrogen retention.…”

“…The literature (Moreira et al, 2020) showed the potential of this association for sheep. Thus, suppose it would also be applied to cattle.…”

“…There are several sources of ber and protein with potential for use in cactus pear diets, especially leucaena hay (Wanderley et al, 2012). Leucaena is a tropical legume, also tolerant to the dry season, with perennial growth, being one of the most used legumes in tropical regions, mainly due to good protein content and ber (Moreira et al, 2020), which encourages its use in feeding ruminants in association with cactus pear. However, the feasibility of using alternative feeds for ruminants, depends among others, on the nutritional quality and responses in animal production when compared to the traditional feeds (Halmemies-Beauchet-Filleau et al, 2018).…”

Nutrient digestibility, fecal output of fractionated proteins, and ruminal fermentation parameters of goats fed a diet supplemented with spent green tea and black tea leaf silage

“…There has been much recent focus on protein in ruminant feeding because of efforts to reduce costs of ruminant production and concerns arising from climatic aberration. The diversity of the protein source in livestock diets including legumes, grains, food‐industrial by‐products originated from plants is a considerable importance, and those researches must be developed due to the increasing demand for protein rich feedstuff (Chiou et al, 1995; Moreira et al, 2021; Wilkins & Jones, 2000).…”