Growth Performance of Goat Fed with Indigofera (Indigofera suffruticosa Mill.) and Super Napier (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach x Pennisetm Glaucoma L.)

Abstract

It still needs to be thoroughly determined how to incorporate various pasture mixes at varying amounts in goat diets. Fewer farmers are feeding goats varied concentrations of Indigofera and super Napier grass, although many have already practiced incorporating different pasture types into the goats' regular grazing routines. The study aimed to determine how various Indigofera and Super Napier combinations affected goat growth, morphometry, and carcass parameters. A completely randomized design (CRD) was used to conduct the trial, with six treatments replicated four times, with Treatments 1 and 6 acting as a control. The Tukey HSD test performed multiple means comparisons across several treatments. Goats that were fed with 100% Indigofera, 80% Super Napier + 20% Indigofera, and 100% Super Napier significantly outgrew their size, as seen by their final weights of 16.93 kg, 16.68 kg, and 16.57 kg, respectively (3.16 kg, 2.90 kg and 2.67 kg, respectively). Combinations of 60% super Napier + 40% Indigofera and 70% super Napier + 30% Indigofera have a substantial impact on the amount of feed consumed (1.71 kg), whereas 60% super Napier + 40% Indigofera has a considerable impact on the goat's feed efficiency (0.60 and 0.76, respectively). Following a 60-day experiment, 100% Indigofera also had an impact on the chest circumference (57.20 cm), loin eye area (11.66 cm2), gastrointestinal contents (2.90 kg), hot carcass weight (6.72 kg), cold carcass weight (6.45%), pluck weight (0.68 kg), the weight of total trimmable fats (0.33 kg), and the percentage weight of total trimmable fats (2.02%). Additionally, 70% super Napier + 30% Indigofera, 80% SN+20% Indigofera, 70% SN + 30% Indigofera, and 60% SN + 40% Indigofera are suggested by these data.