Production Performance, Feed Intake and Nutrient Digestibility of Etawa Crossbreed Dairy Goats Fed Tithonia (Tithonia diversifolia), Cassava Leaves and Palm Kernel Cake Concentrate

Abstract

This research aimed at the intake, digestibility, production, and milk quality of Etawa crossbreeds dairy goat (ECDG) fed conventional mixed forage; tithonia (Tithonia diversifolia) (T) and cassava leaves (CL) with palm kernel cake concentrate (PKCC). A completely randomized design (four treatments and four replications) was used in this study. The treatments consisted of followings: A was company rations (50% company forages + 50% company concentrate(CC)), B (50% (T+CL) + 40% CC + 10% PKCC), C (50% (T+CL) + 30% CC + 20% PKCC), D (50% (T+CL)+ 20% CC + 30% PKCC). The variables analyzed were as follows; milk production, milk quality (total solid, lactose, protein, fat, solid non-fat, water content, specific gravity, pH, Ca and P minerals), dry matter intake (DMI), organic matter intake (OMI), crude protein intake (CPI), dry matter digestibility (DMD), organic matter digestibility (OMD), crude protein digestibility (CPD). Data analysis used analysis of variance—a further test to determine differences between treatments using Duncan's multiple ranges. The Analysis showed that the treatment had no significant effect (P>0.05) on feed intake, digestibility, production, and milk quality. Using palm kernel cake concentrate and a mixture of tithonia and cassava leaves was able to maintain the feed intake, feed digestibility, production, and milk quality of ECDG. Replacement of company forages with a mixture of cassava and tithonia and replacement of company concentrate with PKCC did not affect the intake, digestibility, production, and quality of Etawa crossbreed dairy goat's milk. The combination of 50% (cassava and tithonia) + 10% company concentrate + 40% PKCC was able to maintain the intake, digestibility, production, and quality of Etawa crossbreed dairy goat milk.