Response of gravid does to partial replacement of dietary protein by a leaf meal mixture of Leucaena leucocephala, Morus alba and Azadirachta indica

This study examined the nutritional and reproductive performance of female goats (12) maintained on a basal diet of wheat straw supplemented either with a concentrate based on soybean meal (SBM) or Leucaena leucocephala–Morus alba–Azadirachta indica (2:1:1) leaf meal mixture (LMAM) prior to conception, and during gestation (8) in a completely randomized design. The LMAM and SBM supplements were nutritionally similar in terms of dry matter intake (DMI) (66.55 vs. 63.60 g/kg W0.75), digestibility of major nutrients and pattern of nitrogen retention. The nutritive value of composite diets and plane of nutrition of gravid does were similar irrespective of dietary treatments to maintain desired net body weight gain and foetal growth rate. Similarly, average daily gain of gravid does (43.47 vs. 45.87 g), foetal growth rate (32.13 vs. 29.96 g per day) and birth weight of kids (1.92 vs. 2.03 kg) were comparable between the SBM and LMAM treatments. The concentration of blood constituents (haemoglobin, packed cell volume, glucose, serum urea), major fractions of serum protein (total protein, albumin and globulin ratio, A:G ratio) and activity of various serum enzymes (alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase) were within the normal range in does irrespective of dietary treatment or stage of pregnancy. Apparently, the supplementation of wheat straw either with LMAM or commercial type concentrate containing SBM resulted in similar performance of does; and that the LMAM could contribute up to 0.36 of the total DMI in gravid does without any adverse effect on their general health and reproductive performance.