NUTRITIVE-VALUE OF OAK (QUERCUS-SEMECARPIFOLIA) LEAVES IN PASHMINA KIDS

In order to find the nutritive value of oak (Quercus semecarpifolia) l eaves, native to temperate and humid Himalayan ranges (29 degrees 25'N and 79 degrees 35'E), containing (% DM basis) 9.49, CP; 94.86, OM; 4. 07, EE; 64.20, NDF; 50.60, ADF; 1.60, Ca; 0.2, P and 4.40, tannins; fo ur male pashmina kids (5-6 months age and 12.9 +/- 1.39 kg body weight ) were fed freshly lopped green-leaves as a sole feed for 180 days inv olving a metabolism trial at the end. The kids, on average, consumed 3 .1 +/- 0.20 kg DM 100(-1) kg body weight and 63.5 +/- 2.59 g DM kg W-0 .75 and grew 27.3 +/- 0.71 g day(-1). The digestibility of DM, OM, CP, EE, NDF and ADF was found to be 48.4, 50.5, 51.3, 33.2, 41.1 and 29.1 %, respectively. All the kids were on positive nitrogen and negative c alcium and phosphorus balances. The oak leaves contained 4.9 +/- 0.5% DCP and 49.3 +/- 1.06% TDN. The results indicate that the oak leaves c an be used as a fodder source for maintenance and to support a little growth in pashmina kids provided supplemented with minerals. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.