Impact of Forage Legume Hays Derived from Intercrop as Dry Season Feed Supplements for Lactating Bunaji Cows and N'dama Beef Cattle

Abstract

Akinlade, J.A., Smith, J.W., Larbi, A., Adekunle, I.O., Taiwo, A.A. and Busari, A.A. 2003. Impact of forage legume hays derived from intercrop as dry season feed supplements for lactating Bunaji cows and N'dama beef cattle. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 24: 185–191. Two experiments were conducted concurrently to study the influence of three forage legume, hays (Stylosanthes guianensis, Centrosema pubescens and Cajanus cajan) obtained from maize—based intercropping system, as supplements to mature guinea grass (Panicum maximum). The legume hays were fed to lactating Bunaji cows (Experiment 1) and N'dama calves (experiment 2) for a period of 30 and 60 days, respectively using a completely randomized design with 4 animals per treatment in both trials. The dry matter degradation characteristics of the forage legumes were also assessed in three rumen—fistulated Bunaji castrates. Cows supplemented with C. pubescens and C. cajan produced higher milk (P<0.05) than those offered S. guianensis. Calves supplemented with C. pubescens and S. guianensis gained more weight (P<0.05) than those fed on C. cajan—supplement. Degradable fraction (b) were 338, 334 and 470g/kg for S. guianensis, C. pubesces and C. cajan, respectively. Additional benefits in terms of higher milk and body weight increase could be derived from the use of cereal-based inter-cropped forage legumes as supplements especially by poor resource African smallholder mixed farmers in the dry season.