Abstract
Vachellia karroo ( Acacia karroo ) is promising fodder for goats in the critical dry season in communal rangelands. The only limitation to the use of this fodder tree is the presence of phenolic compounds, such as condensed tannins. A study was conducted to investigate the effects of tanniniferous V. karroo leaf meal feeding on blood profiles of indigenous Pedi goats fed a basal diet of Setaria verticillata grass hay. Twenty indigenous Pedi goats, weighing 18 ± 2 kg, were allocated in a completely randomized design to five dietary treatments containing V. karroo leaf meal at 20% (S 80 A 20 ), 25% (S 75 A 25 ), 30% (S 70 A 30 ), 40% (S 60 A 40 ) and 50% (S 50 A 50 ) of the total diet in a 22-day trial. Twelve ml of blood were collected from the jugular vein from each goat before and after the experiment for haematological and serum biochemical assays. Daily dry matter intake (DMI) was similar across treatments, ranging from 633 g to 765 g per goat per day. There was no difference in initial and final bodyweights of goats consuming various experimental diets. However, bodyweight gains were significantly higher in goats fed a diet with 50% leaf meal as compared with other treatment groups. There were no differences in haematological indices of Pedi goats except for mean corpuscular haemoglobin (Hb) concentration. Goats fed 50% leaf meal had significantly lower mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) values as compared with other treatment groups. Similarly, there were no differences in the blood serum chemistry of goats that consumed various inclusion levels of V. karroo , except for serum total protein (TP) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Goats fed 50% leaf meal had depressed serum TP, while serum enzyme Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentration decreased significantly in goats fed 25% leaf meal as compared with those on the 20% dietary treatment. Tannin concentration of 8.2 g/kg dry matter (DM) had no toxic effect on experimental animals. A 40 % inclusion of V. karroo in a Setaria verticillata hay-based diet may be fed to indigenous Pedi goats without compromising the immunity system and health of the animals. Keywords: Condensed tannin, fodder, haematology, serum
Highlights
Indigenous Pedi goats are important domestic animals in Limpopo, South Africa
The objective of this study was to determine certain haematological and biochemical parameters of indigenous Pedi goats fed a basal diet of Setaria verticillata grass hay supplemented with various levels of V. karroo leaf meal
Neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) contents were higher in Setaria verticillata grass hay
Summary
Indigenous Pedi goats are important domestic animals in Limpopo, South Africa. They contribute immensely to the economy and food security of many smallholder farmers in this area (Motubatse et al, 2008). Their productivity is constrained by shortage of good-quality feed, especially during the long dry season (Brown et al, 2016). There is insufficient plant biomass to support the production of goats in this period, resulting in poor reproductive performance and slow attainment of market weight. Fodder tree and shrub legumes have high potential values as sources of feed for ruminant livestock during the austere period (Mapiye et al, 2011)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
