Supplementation of Kapok tree foliage and Ivomectin injection on growth rate and parasite eggs in faeces of grazing goats in farmer households

Theng Kouch, Preston T R¹ and Hun Hieak

Royal University of Agriculture, Cambodia
Thkouch2002@yahoo.com
tosoly, UTA-Colombia
regpreston@utafoundation.org

Abstract:

The experiment was on-farm trial, conducted from February to September 2004, at Lvea Em District, Kandal province. The factorial design (2*2) was used, supplementation of kapok tree and ivomec injection. 12 farmers were allocated into 4 combination treatments with three replications. The treatments were G (grazing in the natural pasture only), GI (grazing and ivomec injection), GS (grazing and supplementation) and GSI (grazing, supplementation and injection). Each farmer possessed 2 local male goats, non-castration, were block by weigh.

The result shown that, there were not different among the ADG of block (p > 0.05) of all period, but block I and II seem to be higher than block III. It was the similar for Ivomec injection factor, ADG of injected and non-injected group was not different for all period (p> 0.05), but it had affected to the parasite eggs count. During dry season, there were also not different between ADG of supplemented and non-supplemented group, 112g and 97g (SE ± 7.17, p> 0.05). While in wet season and whole period, the supplementation of kapok tree foliage was effected to the ADG, it means that there was different significance between ADG of supplemented and non-supplemented kapok tree foliage, in wet season 48g and 31g (SE ± 3.84, p = 0.02) and whole period 82.55g and 63.13g (SE ± 4.40, p = 0.03). But, there were not effects of interaction of these factors on ADG in all period. The supplementation of kapok tree and its interaction was also not effect to parasite eggs counts, in all period.

Key word: pasture, Kapok, Ivomectin, ADG, EPG

1- Introduction:

The use of foliage from trees and shrubs in animal nutrition has focused the attention of many researchers, due to the fact that these feed resources are locally available, perennial sources of feeds (Singh 1995; Leng 1997), rich in protein and particularly appropriate for small ruminants (Chen et al 1992; Norton 1994; Kaitho 1997). In this connection, the kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra) is a multipurpose plant that is well known in practice by the farmers of Cambodia (Theng Kouch et al 2003b) could be successfully used in goat production in Cambodian.

In the study reported by Theng Kouch et al. (2003b), the protein content of the leaves and foliage of the kapok tree was18.6% and 17.9% in DM. Nguyen Thi Hong Nhan (1998) reported that the protein content in the foliage DM was 14.3%; DM digestibility in growing goats fed the foliage as the sole diet was 76% and growth rates (74 g/day) were similar to what was obtained with foliage of Leucaena.

Objective:

This research aims to evaluate relative effectiveness of anthelmintic application and feeding of foliage from the kapok tree; and it is a part of development in using available local feed resources, to encourage farmers who raise goats, improve goat production and also income of rural poor farmers.

Hypothesis 

The supplementation with kapok tree and Ivomectin injection will give the same result in control of intestinal parasites and growth of goats under farmer conditions, and both will be better than grazing alone

2- Material and Methods:

a/ Location and duration

The experiment was conducted with farmers who were living in Pearm Okgna Ong commune, Lvear Em district in Kandal Province, in the eastern part of Phnom Penh city, about 25 km. The research took over 8 months including the experimental preparation, commencing on 1^rst February 2004 and finishing at the end of August 2004.

b/ Experimental animal and design:

The 24 non-castrated male goats were purchased from local farmers at about 3 months of age, 11.28±2.67 kg living weight, were kept in traditional management. The factorial design (2*2) was used, including supplementation of kapok tree and ivomec injection. 12 farmers were allocated into 4 combination treatments with three replications (three farmers) or blocks, 2 goats per farmer. The block is according to live weight, block I: 8-9 kg body weight, block II: 10-12 kg body weight and block III: 13-16 kg body weight The supplementation of kapok foliage was ad libitum; injection with Ivomectin was applied according to live weight every two months.

The design is a 2*2 factorial arrangement as follows:

·        Ivomectin injection: the first factor with 2 levels are with (ivo) and without (nivo) injection.

• Diet: second factor with 2 levels are with (suppl) and without Kapok tree foliage supplementation (nsuppl)

The individual treatments are:

·        G       :   Grazing of natural grass only or control

·        GS     :   Grazing of natural grass and supplement with kapok tree foliage

·        GI      :   Grazing of natural grass and Ivomectin injection

·        GSI   :   Grazing of natural grass and supplement with kapok tree foliages and Ivomectin injection

c- Supplementation and Ivomecin injection:

       The kapok tree foliage was given fresh after collecting by the farmers. It was offered to the goats by hanging in the pen wall, or in a similar way as traditionally used by the farmers. The ivomectin was injected at the beginning of the experiment and repeated every two months.

d/-Measurements:

       Goats were weighed every two weeks and growth rate calculated by regression of live weight on time in days. Feed intake of the kapok foliage will be recorded.

       The parasite eggs were counted every month by collecting faces from rectum, and using microscope and saline solution.

e/- Statistical analyses:

The data will be analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the General Linear Model (GLM) of the MINITAB software version 13.1 (Minitab 2000).  Sources of variation are treatments, blocks and interaction treatments*blocks and error.

3- Result and Discussion:

The chemical composition of kapok tree foliage was varied according to the status of foliages, leaves only was high nutrient contains than the leaves attached to petiole and young stem (Table 1).

 

 

 

Table 1: Chemical composition of kapok tree foliage with and without petioles and stems
	Leaves	Leaves + petiole	Leaves + petiole + stem
DM, % fresh basis	35.3	33.0	23.2
As % of DM
N	2.95	2.55	2.11
Crude protein	18.4	15.9	13.2
Ash	11.4	10.6	13.5
OM	88.6	89.4	86.5
Water-extractable , %
DM	34.1	29.1	26.4
N	37.7	35.0	11.6

 

 

 

            For dry season, in the first two months, the control group seems to be good body weight gain, because most of the allocated goats were belong to the farmers who were control group. So the goats could well adapt to the farmers (Grap1). While, the injection alone was grown slowly, it might be related with the management, due to in this group one farmer had no available labour to herd the goat; the goat was restricted to free grazing by tethering, it was different from other farmers who let the goats to freely graze.

During flooding, the growth performance of goats in supplement groups was still higher than non supplemented groups. But their growth performances were slower than the groups in dry season.

Totally, the growth performance of goat that received both, supplementation and injection was faster; followed by supplementation; while injection alone were not different from the control once (Grap. 3).

The parasite eggs count was varied, from June they rose. This might be during this period was favor to the parasite to grow or might be the resistance of the goats. Because, goats harboured significantly more worm resistant population than all other herbivores; it also related with the type of anthelmintic, such as ivermectins present a higher resistant than levamisole and pyreantel (Cabaret, 2000).

The average daily gain (ADG) was not different among the block (p > 0.05) of all period, but block I and II seem to be higher than block III (table 2, 3 and 4). It might be related with the characteristic of the breed, because breeds in developing countries have a mature weight of 19 to 37 kg at 15 t o 18 months of age (Taneja, 1982; Cited by Fahmy and Shrestha, 2000), so block I and II had long gap to reach the maximum body weight. While, parasite egg counts was not different.

Ivomec injection did not affect to the ADG (table 2, 3 and 4), it means that there is no different between ADG of injected and non-injected goats in all period, it is similar with the report of Rossanigo and Frigerio (2000), although the parasite egg of goats in injected and non-injected group in all period were significantly. But these amounts were the lightly effect level (table 2, 3 and 4). Hansen and Perry (1994) shown that the degree of infection of parasite were divided into light, medium, and heavy, while the EPG of mixed specie of parasites in small ruminants was 20 - 800 (light), 800-1200 (medium) and more than 1200 (heavy).

In dry season, the supplementation of kapok tree foliage was not effect to the ADG, 112g/day and 97g/day for supplemented and non-supplemented group (table 2). It might be related with the availability of natural pasture, because this area was the lowland so in dry season there was available pasture, especially along the lack. While in wet season, there were different significantly between supplemented and non-supplemented group, 48g/day and 31g/day (SE±3.84, p=0.02) (table 3), but they were lower than ADG in dry season; because during wet season the grazing area start decreasing, due to the water of the river filled the lack and caused the flooding. In this case, the supplementation of kapok tree foliage could meet some nutrient requirement of goats. It is similar for the whole period (8 months), 82.55g/day and 63.13g/day for supplement and non-supplement (SE ± 4.40, p = 0.03) (Table 4). It might be related with free grazing of goats on the natural pasture, spent a lot of energy for traveling to access the natural pasture. In this case, the supplementation group could compensate the lost energy by consuming the kapok tree foliage when return to the pen, the supplement could provide more protein; Torres-Acosta et al. (2000) reported that the high protein diet allowed the kids to retain more N than did the low protein diet. But, ADG of goats in dry season were higher than Galina et al. (2000), 87 g/day and 105 g/day for Balance concentrate group and Complex non-protein feed, this might be related with management system. In free grazing system, where natural pasture was available, the goats could have more choices to select the rich nutrient feed to meet their requirement. The parasite eggs of these groups were not different, 528 and 472 EPG (SE± 73.5, p > 0.05).

There were no effects of interaction on ADG and parasite eggs count (table 2, 3 and 4) of all period. It result from the experiment was conducted in the time when the pasture were available and low effect of parasites. So goats could availably graze in the natural pasture and got low infestation of parasite. However, ADG of control group in dry season (G = 106g/day)  was extremely higher than the observation of Theng Kouch et al., (2003) who reported only 50g/day in the same period and Hart et al. (2000) who found 77g/day. While in wet season the ADG was similar with Theng Kouch et al., (2003), in the same period. For the whole period, ADG of control group was higher than report of Saithanoo et al. (1985) was only 62g and 47g for male and female. There were not different among the parasite eggs count (table 2, 3 and 4).

Table 2: Effect of Ivomectin and Supplementation on weight gain and parasite egg in local Goats, in dry season.

Parameters	Block				Ivo
	I	II	III	SE/P	nivo	ivo	SE/P
Initial (LW), kg	8.66c	10.75b	15.18a	0.23 / 0.00**	11.45	11.61	0.19 / 0.57
Final (LW), kg	21.26b	22.76b	25.29a	0.58 / 0.01**	23.08	23.13	0.47 / 0.81
ADG, g	110.83	108.26	94.87	8.78 / 0.44	103.96	105.35	7.17 / 0.90
Parasite egg, EPG1	518	423	279	116 / 0.40	709a	105b	95 / 0.00**
Coccidia, EPG1	645	562	217	136 / 0.14	389	562	111 / 0.31

Table 2: (Continue)

Parameters	Suppl			Interaction or Combination Treatment
	nsuppl	suppl	SE/P	G	GI	GS	GSI	SE/P
Initial (LW), kg	11.68	11.38	0.19 / 0.29	11.68	11.26	11.46	11.15	0.27 / 0.25
Final (LW), kg	22.43	23.78	0.47 / 0.13	23.33ab	21.52b	22.88b	24.75a	0.67/0.03*
ADG, g	97.18	112.12	7.17 / 0.19	106.39	87.98	102.53	122.72	10.14/0.10
Parasite egg, EPG1	418	396	95 / 0.87	748	88	669	122	134 / 0.69
Coccidia, EPG1	429	521	111 / 0.58	413	446	364	677	157 / 0.41

Table 3: Effect of Ivomectin and Supplementation on weight gain and parasite egg in local Goats, in wet season (flooding).

Parameters	Block				Ivo
	I	II	III	SE/P	nivo	ivo	SE/P
Initial (LW), kg	21.26b	22.76b	25.29a	0.58 / 0.01**	23.08	23.13	0.47 / 0.81
Final (LW), kg	25.89	28.55	29.63	0.70 / 0.02*	27.50	28.54	0.57 / 0.25
ADG, g	37.14	48.70	33.06	4.70 / 0.13	35.36	43.91	3.84 / 0.17
Parasite egg, EPG1	654	552	428	73 / 0.17	784a	305b	60 / 0.00**
Coccidia, EPG1	365	360	201	97 / 0.44	294	323	79 / 0.80

 

Table 3: (Continue)

Parameters	Suppl			Interaction or Combination Treatment
	nsuppl	suppl	SE/P	G	GI	GS	GSI	SE/P
Initial (LW), kg	22.43	23.78	0.47 / 0.13	23.33ab	21.52b	22.88b	24.75a	0.67/0.03*
Final (LW), kg	26.16b	29.88a	0.57/0.00**	26.48	25.83	28.52	31.25	0.81 / 0.08
ADG, g	30.85b	48.41a	3.84 /0.02*	24.08	37.63	46.64	50.19	5.43 /0.39
Parasite egg, EPG1	605	484	60 / 0.20	838	373	732	236	84 / 0.86
Coccidia, EPG1	190	427	79 / 0.08	285	95	303	551	112 / 0.10

Table 4: Effect of Ivomectin and Supplementation on weight gain and parasite egg in local Goats in the whole period.

Parameters	Block				Ivo
	I	II	III	SE/P	nivo	ivo	SE/P
Initial (LW), kg	8.66c	10.75b	15.17a	0.23 / 0.00**	11.45	11.61	0.19 / 0.57
Final (LW), kg	25.88b	28.55a	29.62a	0.60 / 0.02*	27.50	28.54	0.57 / 0.25
ADG, g	78.94	79.12	63.44	5.39 / 0.13	71.22	76.44	4.40 / 0.43
Parasite egg, EPG1	601	498	369	90 / 0.28	753a	225b	73.5 / 0.00**
Coccidia, EPG1	501	488	218	96 / 0.14	359	445	78.4 / 0.47

Table 4: (Continue)

Parameters	Suppl			Interaction or Combination Treatment
	nsuppl	suppl	SE/P	G	GI	GS	GSI	SE/P
Initial (LW), kg	11.68	11.37	0.19/0.29	11.68	11.26	11.46	11.15	0.27 / 0.25
Final (LW), kg	26.16b	29.88a	0.57/0.00**	26.18	25.60	28.52	31.23	0.81 / 0.08
ADG, g	65.13b	82.53a	4.40/0.03*	65.24	65.02	77.20	87.87	6.21 / 0.42
Parasite egg, EPG1	528	451	73.5/0.49	803	253	705	198	103 / 0.93
Coccidia, EPG1	334	472	78.4/0.26	373	293	345	598	110 / 0.18

Conclusion:

The using of on-farm experiment in not only provides the theories but also they could practice directly. The kapok tree foliage was useful for improving goat production. While, the use of anthelmintic seems to be low affect to grow performance of goat.

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to express the gratitude to the MEKARN project, supported by SIDA/SAREC of Sweden for financing this study; to Dr. T.R Preston, Director of the University of Tropical Agriculture (UTA), for advice and correction the paper.

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