EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTATION WITH TREE LEAVES ON INTAKE AND DIGESTIBILITY OF HYBRID NAPIER (NB-21) GRASS IN NELLORE-BROWN SHEEP

Effect of supplementation of leaves from fodder trees such as Leucaena leucocephala, Sesbania grandiflora and Gliricidia maculata on dry mat ter (DM) intake and nutrient digestibility of hybrid napier grass (1.1 4% nitrogen) based rations was evaluated in two experiments with nativ e Nellore Brown sheep. In Experiment 1, sheep received four dietary tr eatments, hybrid napier grass (NB-21) ad libitum (control) or grass pl us 600 g day(-1) of one of the three fodder tree leaves to have a gras s:tree leaf ratio of 60:40 on DM basis. Supplementation with leucaena, sesbania and gliricidia decreased the total DM intake (g DM day(-1)) of the ration from 414 (control) to 392, 351 and 387, respectively. Ho wever, the effect of supplementation on DM intake was not significant (P > 0.05). Crude protein digestibility was significantly (P < 0.05) i mproved in all supplementation treatments. Sheep in an the four treatm ents were in positive N, Ca and P balance. Rumen degradability of fodd er tree leaves was studied using the nylon bag technique in associatio n with the fermentation characteristics of sheep fed rations containin g different tree leaves in Experiment 2. Sesbania leaf was highly degr adable in the rumen with 73% of the DM disappearing after 24 h incubat ion. In contrast, leucaena and gliricidia leaves exhibited a low degra dability of 64.5% and 72.7%, respectively, after 48 h in the rumen. Ef fective degradation of DM was highest with sesbania (64.2%), intermedi ate with gliricidia (55.9%) and least with leucaena (41.6%). The relat ive ability of the fodder tree leaves to improve the total tract diges tion of NB-21 grass is discussed, particularly in relation to rumen de gradability of DM.