Performance of Goats Fed on Graded Levels of Syringa (Melia Azedarach) Based Pellets Fattening Diets

Abstract

Melia azedarach, commonly known as Syringa is a potential forage tree that has a relatively high crude protein and mostly used in feeding ruminant animals. Twelve Small East African goats were used in this experiment in a completely randomised design. Each goat was randomly allotted to four different treatments. This was done to evaluate the effects of graded levels of Melia azedarach-based pellets on feed intake, daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio and nematode egg count per gram during feeding for 56 days at Chinhoyi University of Technology farm. Feed formulation was done using I. D. T Try and Error Iteration software. Air dried Syringa leaves were used to produce four iso-nitrogenous and iso-energetic treatment diets with 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% M. azedarach in pellet form. Each treatment had 3 goats and each goat was a replicate. Increase in the inclusion level of had a negative effect on feed intake (P<0.05). Feed conversion ratio and average daily weight gain had no significant differences across all treatments. Increase in M. azedarach reduced egg count per gram of nematodes. At 15% the nematode egg count per gram decreases significantly when compared with other treatments (P<0.05). Egg count per gram was highest in 0% M. azedarach diet showing the inability of soya-based pellets to act as anthelmentic in goats. The present study indicates the beneficial anthelmentic action of the leaves of the M. azedarach tree on gastrointestinal nematodes in goats. This makes M. azedarach a candidate for the natural control of nematodiasis.