THE NUTRITIVE-VALUE OF ACACIA-SALIGNA AND ACACIA-SALICINA FOR GOATS AND SHEEP

Acacia saligna and A. salicina phyllodes, harvested in autumn from you ng and mature trees, were fed as sole diets to goats (20.3 (s.d. 4.8) kg; no. = 16) and sheep (32.6 (s.d. 4.9) kg; no. = 16). Crude protein of phyllodes from mature trees tons 111 g/kg dry matter (DM) and from young trees ranged between 121 and 132 g/kg DM. Condensed tannins and ash content were about twice as high in young trees as in old ones and gross energy was higher in old trees than in young ones. DM intakes b y goats from both tree species were low: 24.8 nod 13.7 g/kg M-0.75 per day for mature and young trees, respectively. Corresponding intakes b y sheep were 20.4 and 11.5 g/kg M-0.75 per day Metabolizable energy in takes were up to 125 and 99 kJ/kg M-0.75 per day for goats and sheep, respectively and were higher for phyllodes from mature trees than for young trees. Goats lost up to 219 g/day and sheep up to 346 g/day and both species were in negative nitrogen balance. DM, organic matter and energy apparent digestibilities were low for all diets but were gener ally higher for gents than sheep. It is concluded that neither A. sali gna nor A. salicina could be used as a sole food for small ruminants b ecause of low intakes and negative nitrogen balances. This appears to be clue to high tannin content.