Effects of supplementing Gamba grass (Andropogon gayanus) with cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) hay and cassava root chips on feed intake, digestibility and growth in goats

The effects of supplementing Gamba grass (Andropogon gayanus) with varying levels of hay from cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and dried cassava root chip on growth and diet digestibility were studied using local male goats with an average initial body weight of 14.0 kg. Thirty-two animals were allocated to a completely randomized 2x2 factorial design with eight animals per treatment. The factors were two levels of cassava hay (25% and 35% of an expected dry matter (DM) intake of 3% of body weight) and cassava root chips (0 or 1% of body weight) on an individual basis with grass offered ad libitum. Another four animals were assigned to a 4x4 Latin square design to study digestibility, and were given the same four diets as in the growth experiment. Total DM intake was significantly higher in the group fed diets with cassava hay and root while the DM intake of Gamba grass was not significantly different between treatments. The supplementation with cassava hay and root increased the apparent digestibility of DM, organic matter and N and resulted in a higher N-retention. The apparent digestibility of neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fiber was not affected significantly. The average daily gain of animals fed diets supplemented with both cassava hay and root was significantly higher than for the animals supplemented with cassava hay alone. The highest daily gain recorded was 70 g/day. In conclusion, supplementing a basal diet of Gamba grass with cassava hay and root chips improved DM intake, digestibility, N-retention and weight gain. In order to minimize the waste of cassava hay, the inclusion level of cassava hay can be recommended to be 25% of expected DM intake, which would give acceptable intake and growth performance when cassava root is included in the diet.