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NUTRITIONAL EVALUATION OF HERBS AS FODDER SOURCE FOR RUMINANTS

JAVED IQBAL SULTAN ^1*, INAM-UR-RAHIM¹, MUHAMMAD YAQOOB², M.I. MUSTAFA², HAQ NAWAZ¹ AND PERVEZ AKHTAR³

Abstract: This study augmented the evaluation of herbs as fodder source for ruminants. Eleven herbs species viz., Denothera vosea, Athyrium acrotiochoides, Chenopodium album, Polygonum amplexicaule, Atrimisia maritima, Oriosma lispidum, Cynoglossum lanceolatum, Plantago ovata, Hackalia macrophyla, Lespedeza spp., Urtica dioka were selected and analyzed for dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), ash, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), hemi-cellulose, and lignin contents. The average values for DM, OM, ash, CP, NDF, ADF, hemi-cellulose and lignin were 27.5±1.66, 24.2±1.33, 11.6±0.96, 12.3±1.42, 56.7±1.87, 30.9±1.24, 25.8±1.42 and 4.4±0.42, respectively. The average values for Ca, P, K and Mg at were 0.62±0.066, 0.033±0.003, 0.85±0.118, and 0.012±0.002, respectively and average values for Cu, Zn, Mn and Co were 24.59±5.439, 22.64±3.314, 12.18±1.757 and 0.049±0.008, respectively. In species, the highest (p<0.05) potential intake rate (PIR) was observed for Denothera vosea (59.00±11.70 g/4 minute) and lowest for Urtica dioka (36.30±11.03 g/4 minute). However, the highest (p<0.05) relative preference (RP) was noted for Denothera vosea (81.55±1.61%) and lowest for Urtica dioka (10.28±4.38%). The average  in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and metabolizable energy (ME) of fodder herbs species were 52.4±3.02% and 1.67±3.021 MJ/kg DM, respectively. The IVDMD, RP and PIR values are indicative that fodder herbs be fed to livestock with some supplementation for different levels of production and types of livestock.

¹Institute of Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan

²Department of Livestock Management, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

³Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.