FORAGE POTENTIAL OF 8 WOODY SPECIES - INTAKE AND GROWTH-RATES OF LOCAL YOUNG GOATS IN THE HIGHLAND REGION OF RWANDA

Eight woody fodder species adapted to the highlands of Rwanda were eva luated in terms of dry matter intake in one experiment. Animals were o ffered a daily diet comprising 4.0 kg of fresh matter of Setaria splen dida grass supplemented with or without one of the eight fodder specie s tested. In all cases, total daily feed intake was increased by the a ddition of woody fodder. Daily intake of the woody fodder was high for Acacia koaia, Mimosa scabrella and Acacia koa at 43.7, 42.6 and 41.9 g/kg BW0.75, respectively. The dry matter intake of the other five spe cies (Alnus acuminata, Chamaecytisus palmensis, Hagenia abyssinica, Ac acia mearnsii and Acacia melanoxylon) ranged from 18.9 to 30.1 g/kg BW 0.75 per day. In another experiment, a basic daily diet of 4.0 kg of f odder (in fresh weight) was given to each animal. This ratio comprised S. splendida supplemented with M. scabrella and incorporated at 0 (co ntrol), 45% and 66% (fresh weight basis) of the total daily diet. Impr oved weight gain was obtained when setaria was supplemented with M. sc abrella with daily weight gain of 31, 47 and 51 g/animal for 0, 45 and 66% M. scabrella, respectively.