Effect of feeding Moringa oleifera forage on productive performance of growing goat kids

Summary
A five-months experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of partial replacement of rice straw in the ration of goat kids by Moringa oleifera (MO) forage on feed intake, digestibility, rumen fermentation, some blood parameters and productive performance of growing goat kids. Twenty-one growing Baladi goat kids averaged six months age and 11.20 kg live body weight (LBW) were divided into three similar groups and randomly assigned to the following dietary treatments; control group (R1) which fed 60% CFM + 40% RS, while group (R2) fed 60% CFM + 20% RS + 20% MO and R3 fed 50% CFM + 25% RS + 25% MO. The daily feed allowance of goat kids was calculated according to NRC (2007) and adjusted biweekly. The experimental rations offered twice a day at 8 am and 2 pm in equal portions up to the end of the experimental period. Body weight, feed intake and feed conversion were determined over the whole trial. At the end of the feeding trial, three digestibility trials were conducted on twelve goat kids. Results indicated that the digestibility of most nutrients of the two tested rations were significantly higher than those of control one. The highest values were recorded with 20% MO-ration (R2). The feeding values as TDN and DCP followed a similar trend to those of nutrients digestibility among dietary treatments. Growth performance in respect of final weight, total weight gain, daily gain and feed conversion efficiency were significantly superior with kids fed R2 and R3 rations compared with control ration (R1). The best values occurred with R2. Also, kids fed 20 or 25% MO-rations had significantly higher return and economic efficiency than those fed control ration (R1). Rumen function parameters and blood metabolites profile have been also investigated throughout this study.Accordingly, we could recommend for feeding the growing goat kids, supplementing ration with Moringa oleifera forage especially those containing poor quality roughage like rice straw, since it improve daily gain, digestibility. feed efficiency, and economic efficiency. The recommended replacement rate with Moringa is for 20 or 25% of rice straw.