Effects of cassava (Manihot Utilissima. Pohl) and moringa (Moringa Oliefera. Lam) leaves on nitrogen utilization and growth of sheep on maize (Zea Mays) stover based diet

A research has been conducted to evaluate effects of protein supplement of cassava and moringa leaves and concentrate on intake,digestibility, nitrogen retention, live weight gain and rumen liquor characteristics of sheep fed maize stover based diet. Twenty fat tailed male sheep of approximately 1 year old and a weight range of 16-23 kg were arranged in a Randomized Block Design based on the animal’s initial body weight. Experimental sheep were subjected to the following treatments : MS: maize stover only; MSCF: maize stover (85%) + dried cassava leaves (15%); MSMF: maize stover (85%) + dried moringa leaves (15%); MSCC: maize stover (80%) + concentrate A (20%) and MSMC: maize stover (80%) + concentrate B (20%). Parametres were feed intake, nutrients digestibility, nitrogen retention, body weight gain, feed conversion and rumen liquor characteristics. Clean water was freely available. Intake was recorded daily, and live weight was recorded weekly. Digestibility evaluation was carried out at the last 10 days of experimental period. Data analyzed using the General Linear Model (GLM) procedures of statistical packages. The results from experiment suggest that inclusion of feed supplement in the diet significantly enhanced intake, digestibility, live weight gain, feed conversion and nitrogen retention and it had no effect on rumen liquor characteristics of sheep fed maize stover based diet. It can be concluded that cassava leaves and moringa leaves and cassava/moringa concentrate are good quality protein supplement to support low quality roughages in animal production system. Moringa leaves either as single or as concentrate mixture was however the most potential protein supplement.