Digestibility Comparison of Ramie (Boehmeria nivea) Leaves Hay and Silage in Jawarandu Goat Ration

Abstract

Ramie leave is a leafy protein by product of ramie plantation that can be used as feed source for ruminant. Due to its seasonal availability follovving of its 40 days harvesting period for the fiber production. the leave should be conserved to be able to use it in daily ruminant ration. Our previous works have optimized drying and ensiling techniques of the leave. This study was aimed to compare digestibility of ration contained ramie leaves hay and si lage on Jawarandu goat. The experiment was done using female .lawarandu goats weighted 27 ± 4.68 kg. The experiment was conducted from September to December 2010 at the field laboratory of Dairy Nutrition. Faculty of Animal Science. Bogor Agricultural University. Randomized block design was used in this experiment. Three types of iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous rations (R I = Control ration con sisted of 50% grass + 50% concentrate; R2 consisted of 50% grass + 40% concentrate + 10% ramie leaf si lage, and R3 consisted of 50% grass + 40 + 10% concentrate % hay ramie leat) were used as treatment. Each treatm ent was repeated thrice. Ration and nutrients offered. ration and nutrients left over. total fecal and its compositions \-vere measured for consumptions and digestibilites calculations. The data obtained were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and continued with Duncan's multiple range tests. The results showed that the digestibility of Ether Extract (DEE) in R 1 (78.01%) was lower than R2 (86.47%) and R3 (86 .61 %); The digestibility of nitrogen free extract (DNFE) in R I (72 .73%) was higher than R2 (62.80%) and R3 (63.86%). but there were no significant different effect of the treatments on digestibilities of dry matter (DMD). material organic (DMO), crude protein (DCP), and crude tiber (DCF) of the rations. Substitution of 10% concentrate by ramie either in hay or silage forms did not affect digestibility of ration and nutrition except nitrogen free extract di gestibility which was slightly lower for the ration contained ramie leaves.