Title: Effect of Mimosa pigra and water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) on intake, digestibility and growth of goats in the Mekong delta, Vietnam
Abstract: The experiment was conducted on a farm in Tam Nong district, Dong Thap province to evaluate the feeding value of Mimosa pigra for goats. Sixteen growing male goats (16+3 kg live weight) were allocated to 4 treatments in a 2*2 factorial arrangement with 4 replications. The treatments were foliage of Mimosa fed fresh (MF) or wilted (MW); and with a supplement of water spinach (WS) or no supplement (NWS). The Mimosa foliage was offered ad libitum; water spinach was fed at 30 g/kg live weight (fresh basis). The trial lasted 110 days. Growth rates were increased by feeding the fresh rather than wilted Mimosa (103 vs 91.7 g/day), and by supplementation with water spinach (102 vs 92.3 g/day) (SEM±4.7). Feed intake and apparent digestibility coefficients for dry matter and crude protein showed the same tendency as growth rates. For the MFS and MWS treatments, water spinach represented 27% of the total DM intake. [Nguyen Thi Thu Hong and Nguyen The Lam. (2011). Effect of Mimosa pigra and water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) on intake, digestibility and growth of goats in the Mekong delta, Vietnam. Livestock Research for Rural Development. 23 (7) 2011].