Rate and extent of dry matter digestibility in sacco of both oven- and freeze-dried Paraserianthes falcataria, Calliandra calothyrsus, and Gliricidiasepium

Leaves of three tree legumes, Calliandra calothyrsus (C), Paraserianthes fa lcataria (F), and Gliricidia sepium (G), were harvested and divided into tw o portions for oven drying freeze drying (FD) resulting in six experimental treatments: GOD, CFD, FOD, FFD, and GFD. The initial solubility, disappear ance rate, and extent (undegraded portion) of in sacco dry matter disappear ance (DMD) was calculated dy a non-linear model using DMD values from rumin al incubation times of 0, 12, 24, 48, 96 h. Initial solubility was higher ( P < 0.01) in CFD than COD and lower (P < 0.07) in FFD than FOD, with G. sep ium showing no difference, Disappearance rate was not affected by drying tr eatment. However, disappearance rates , Disappearance rate was rate (0.02 h (-1)). Freeze drying resulted in lower (P < 0.001) undegraded dry matter (D M) in both CPD and FFD than in DD material while undegraded DM for G. sepiu m was acted by drying method. The use of oven-dried tree legume samples for digestibility estimation may underestimate their feeding value.