AGRICULTURE AND BIOLOGY JOURNAL OF NORTH AMERICA Nutrients evaluation of some common feed resources for cost effective feeding of ruminants in Mubi, Nigeria

ABTRACT The five most feed resources (Faidherbia albida, Cowpea husk, Sorghum husk, Cotton seed cake and groundnut haulms) in use for ruminants feeding in Mubi and environment were studied. Variations in nutrients values of the local ingredients necessitates the combination of two or more of the feed resources in order to optimize qualitative and quantitative feeds for the teaming ruminants animals in the area. Nine classes of diet were formulated based on measurement of the five feed resources. Diet 1: 3 tiya of sorghum husk and 2 tiya of cotton seed cake; Diet 2; 3 tiya of sorghum husk and 2 tiya of Acacia pods; Diet 3; 3tiya of sorghum husk plus tiya of cotton seed cake and 2 tiya of acacia pods; Diet 4; 3 tiya of cowpea husk and 2 tiya of cotton seed cake; Diet 5; 3 tiya of cowpea husk and 2 tiya of Acacia pods; Diet 6; 3 tiya of cowpea husk plus 2 tiya of cotton seed cake and 2 tiya of Acacia pods; Diet 7; 3 tiya of groundnuts haulms and 2 tiya of cotton seed cake; Diet 8; 3 tiya of groundnuts haulms and 2 tiya of Acacia pods while Diet 9; 3 tiya of groundnuts haulms plus2 tiya of Acacia pods plus 2 tiya of cotton seed cake. Proximate chemical composition of the five feed resources and the nine diets formulated were similar (10.50, 11.00, 10.40, 10.20, 10.00, 11.00, 10.70, 11.20, and 10.60 for diet 1-9 respectively) unlike the variations in crude protein of the five feed resources, Faidherbia albida (17.10CP) Cotton seed cake (41.00CP), groundnuts haulms (10.90 CP), Cowpea husk (12.97CP) and sorghum husk (6.60CP)