Effect of supplementation of Stylosanthes scabra raised in the hortipasture model on goats Gunasekaran S.*, Viswanathan K., Bandeswaran C., Balasubramanyam D.1, Venkataramanan R.2 Institute of Animal Nutrition, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Kattupakkam - 603 203, Tamil Nadu, India 1Centre for Animal Production Studies, TANUVAS, Chennai -51, India 2Post Graduate Research Institute in Animal Sciences, TANUVAS, Kattupakkam-603203, India *Corresponding author e-mail: gunaj2@gmail.com
Online published on 14 August, 2013. Abstract A study was undertaken to find out the effect of supplementation of Stylosanthes scabra in coconut based hortipasture model for goats. S. scabra, a leguminous green fodder cultivated in the understorey of coconut trees was used to feed the goats by cut and carry method. Fourteen Boer crossbred male goats raised under intensive method of rearing were divided into two groups viz., Group I (stall feeding with ad libitum tree fodder + concentrates) and Group II (stall feeding with ad libitum tree fodder + concentrates + S. scabra one kilogram/day/head). There was no significant difference in weight gain between the treatment groups, however the average daily weight gain (g) of goats in the supplemented group was higher (34.7 vs 50.9). Top Keywords Agroforestry, Feed Supplementation, Goats, Grazing, Hortipasture, Leucaena, Livestock Feeding Economics, Stylosanthes scabra, Small ruminants. Top |