EFFECT OF THE LEVEL OF INCLUSION OF LEUCAENA ON FIBER CONSUMPTION ANDDIGESTIBILITY IN RAMS

Four creole rams of 26 kg of average live weight were used in a Latin square design (4x4) in order to study the effect of different levels o f inclusion of Leucaena leucocephala cv Peru on the consumption and di gestibility of the fiber. Treatments consisted on substituing 0, 20, 4 0 and 60 % of the dry matter of a ration of star grass (Cynodon nlemfu ensis) hay for leucaena forage. The levels of inclusion of the legume had a positive linear effect on the DW consumption: 64.8, 66.5, 71.3 a nd 73.0 g/kg LW(0.75) and in the neutral detergent Fibre (NDF) digesti bility: 44.5, 46.7, 49.3 and 56.0 % for treatments with 0, 20, 40 and 60 % of leucaena, respectively. The NDF consumption was very similar f or all treatments and ranged between 49-50 g/kg LW(0.75). Results show ed that the inclusion of leucaena in diets of star grass hay improves total fibre digestibility and increases the DM consumption up to a lev el which seems to depend on the quantity of NDF present in the rumen.