Effect of replacement of concentrate mix by wilted sesbania (Sesbania sesban) forage on diet digestibility, rumen fermentation and milk production in Friesian X Zebu (Boran) crossbred cows fed low quality native hay

Abstract

Reports results of an experiment undertaken to assess the nutritive value of wilted sesbania forage, a mixture of leaves and edible stems, by determining the effect of replacement of commercial concentrate mix by sesbania forage on diet digestibility, rumen fermentation and milk production of crossbred dairy cows fed low quality native hay. Examines chemical composition of experimental feeds and the rumen degradation characteristics of feed nitrogen, feed intake and nutrient consumption, milk yield, milk composition, metabolizable energy and digestible crude protein requirement and supply on native hay based diets supplemented with various proportions of sesbania, and rumen contents, digestion kinetics of neutral detergent fibre, rumen fermentation parameters and apparent total tract digestion of nutrients on native hay based diets supplemented with various proportions of Sesban (Sesbania sesban) forage.