Effect of feeding groundnut hay as supplement to a basal diet of sorghum stover on intake and growth rate of zebu cattle

Extract

The most important crop residues in Northern Nigeria are sorghum, millet, groundnut and cowpea straws. The cereal straws especially sorghum is the most important for cattle feeding during the dry season when grass and fodder is limiting, but cereal straw has a poor nutritive value due to low nitrogen and extensive lignification. The use of chemical methods (acids, alkalis or urea) to improve the nutritive value of crop residues has not found acceptance among pastoralists. These chemicals are expensive and not readily available. The leguminous straws of groundnut and cowpea have a higher nitrogen content. Their use as supplements to improve the feeding value of cereal straws is a cheaper and more practical approach. jThis experiment examine the potential of groundnut hay as a supplement to cattle fed basal diet of sorghum stover in Northern Nigeria.