Nitrogen partitioning and growth in grasscutters fed freshly cut Panicum maximum alone or supplemented with Leucaena lecocephala treated with 0, 1 or 2 per cent saline solution

2017

English

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of supplementing the basal diet of freshly cut Panicum maximum (PM) with 20% fresh Leucaena leucocephala (LL), treated with 0, 1 or 2 per cent saline solution, on the growth response of grower-finisher grasscutters (Thryonomys swinderianus). Twenty-four grasscutters, with an initial live weight of 2.0±0.06 kg were allocated in a Completely Randomized Design to four treatments namely: PM alone, PM + LL, PM + LL treated with 1% saline solution and PM + LL treated with 2% saline solution. The trial lasted for a period of 75 days. Forage intake, apparent digestibility, nitrogen balance and daily weight gains were measured during this period. Supplementing the basal diet with 20% L. leucocephala significantly (P=0.0001) increased CP intake by 31% (5.2 v. 6.8 g/day). Apparent digestibility coefficients were similar (P>0.05) among the treatments for all chemical constituents measured. However, treating the supplemented L. leucocephala with 2% salt solution increased (P=0.0329) biological value of nitrogen and reduced (P=0.005) urinary nitrogen excretion. Average daily gains differed (P=0.001) among treatments, being lowest on PM alone diet and highest on PM+LL treated with 2% saline solution. It can, therefore, be concluded that treating freshly cut L. leucocephala with 2% common salt solution and using it as a supplement of the sole P. maximum diet could increase CP intake and also reduce urinary nitrogen excretion leading to improved daily live weight gain of grower-finisher grasscutters under captive conditions.

Nyameasem, J. K.; Amoah, K. O.; Wallace, P. A.; Adu, E. K.