N.N. Umunna

Effects of Leucaena pallida and Sesbania sesban supplementation on testicular histology of tropical sheep and goats

Thirty Ethiopian highland rams with an average body weight of 23.7kg (S.D.=1.23) and age of 18 months and 25 East African bucks with an average body weight of 18.6kg (S.D.=2.06) and age of 14 months were used to study the long term effects of supplementation with the leaves of Leucaena pallida and Sesbania sesban on testicular histology. Within species, animals were blocked based on body weight and scrotal circumference and randomly assigned, within blocks, to five nutritional treatment groups in a complete randomised block design. All animals were provided with unchopped teff (Eragrostis tef) straw ad libitum and were supplemented with either 150g of wheat bran (control), leucaena (200 or 400g) or sesbania (200 or 400g) leaves for a period of 6 months. At the end of the experimental period, all animals were surgically castrated and testicular samples were collected and prepared for histopathological examination. In sheep 200g S. sesban induced relatively more necrosis of the seminiferous tubules than 200g L. pallida, but with similar degree of tubular degeneration. However, lesions in testis of goats fed on 200g S. sesban and 200g L. pallida did not differ. The effect of 400g S. sesban and 400g L. pallida in sheep indicated that the former hardly induced lesions except depressive effect on spermatogenesis. Similar results were observed in goats. About 400g S. sesban induced milder lesions in sheep and goats than were 200g S. sesban. The lesions were compared and discussed in relation to the phytochemical composition of the supplementary feeds.

Effect of Supplementing Graded Levels of Forage Legumes on Performance of Crossbred Calves Fed Tef (Eragrostis tef) Straw

Abstract Ebro, A., Nsahlai, I.V., Yami, A. and Umunna, N.N. 2004. Effect of supplementing graded levels of forage legumes on performance of crossbred calves fed Tef (Eragrostis tef) straw. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 26: 107–112. To examine the effect of feeding graded levels of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and lablab hay (Lablab purpureus) on feed intake, weight gain, digestibility and utilization of nutrients, Friesian x Boran (Zebu) crossbred calves were fed ad libitum tef straw alone or supplemented with three levels (0.5, 1 and 1.5% of body weight) of either cowpea or lablab hay. Fifty-six and 28 calves were used for the growth and digestibility studies, respectively. Supplementation increased total dry matter, organic matter, nitrogen, gross energy and digestible energy intakes. Furthermore, increasing levels of supplementation increased average daily gain, nitrogen digestibility and nitrogen retention. Cowpea and lablab did not differ (P<0.05) from each other and thus are equally efficient in improving feed intake, nutrient digestibility and utilization for growth. Supplementation of calves with cowpea or lablab hay at levels lower than 1% of body weight may not substitute for the basal roughage.