194
Tree Leaves as Cattle Fodder, II
The digestibility coefficient and the nutritive value
of tree leaves. In the design of an experiment for
determining the digestibility of a feed by the
process of elimination, it is desirable that not more
than one other feed of known nutritive value, in
addition to the feed under test, should be included
in the experimental ration. At the same time,
however, it is necessary that the combination
should ensure the bodily integrity (to be evidenced
from steady maintenance of body weight and
nitrogen equilibrium). When, however, the bodily
integrity cannot be safeguarded, the digestibility
determination has to be carried out with more
than one extra feed in the ration. In such a
case, however, the digestibility determination of
the test feed may not be very accurate, because
more than one indeterminable associative effect
will influence the digestion of the test feed. In
the present investigation, as has been mentioned
earlier, the digestibility coefficient in the tree
leaves was determined from a ration which con-
tained two other feeds, namely wheat bran and
wheat bhusa. In spite of this limitation, the data
obtained are important and interesting.
In Table VI, a consolidated statement has been
given on the digestibility coefficients of the leaves.
TABLE VI
Average digestibility coefficient of tree leaves
Name of the leaves
1. Paker . .
2. Beri . . .
3. Pipal . .
Crude
protein
56
36
59
Ether
extract
62
62
36
Crude
fibre
32
27
22
N-free
extract
58
34
52
The data presented in Table VI at once show that
the apparent richness of nutrients in tree leaves,
as determined by chemical analysis, gives a very
false idea of their feeding value. The extremely
low digestibility of crude fibre and somewhat less
so of crude protein and nitrogen-free extracts are
particular features in the feeding of tree leaves.
In spite of comparatively higher palatibility, the
beri leaves compare poorly with the other two
kinds on account of their exceptionally low
digestibility for crude protein and nitrogen-free
extracts.
Because of the low digestibility coefficients of
their important nutrients, these leafy fodders are
decidedly inferior to common cultivated fodders
of similar chemical composition [Sen, 1938].
This is clearly evident from the data presented in
Tables VII and VIII.
TABLE VII
Digestibility coefficient of some cultivated fodders and the tree leaves
Name of the green
fodder
Oats . . .
(Avena saliva)
Bajra . . .
(Pennisetum typhoid-
eum)
Sun-flowor . .
(Helianthus
animus)
Paker leaves .
(Ficus infectoria)
Beri leaves . .
(Zizyphus jujuba)
Pipal leaves .
(Ficus religiosa)
Composition (on dry basis)
Crude
protein
9.24
8.88
11.94
9.60
8.59
11.87
Ether
extract
1.80
1.74
3.44
3.38
1.74
3.32
Crude
fibre
34.82
23.96
23.98
28.33
30.13
27.42
N-free
extract
44.78
57.74
45.26
49.91
48.82
43.39
Digestibility coefficient
Crudo
protein
72
62
72
56
36
59
Ethor
extract
50
67
44
62
62
36
fodder
fibre
76
60
20
32
27
22
N-free
extract
79
69
79
58
34
52
TABLE VIII
Digestible nutrients and nutritive value of some common fodders and the tree leaves
Name of the green fodder
Bajra
Oats
Sun-flower
.
.
.
.
Paker leaves . . .
Beri leaves
.
.
.
.
Pipal leaves . . .
Crude
protein
lb.
5.51
6.65
8.60
5.38
3.09
7.00
Ether
extract
lb.
1.17
0.90
1.51
2.10
1.08
1.19
Crude
fibre
lb.
14.38
26.46
4.80
9.06
8.13
6.03
N-free
extract
lb.
39.84
35.38
35.75
28.95
17.00
22.56
Total
digestible
nutrients
lb.
62.64
70.51
52.55
48.11
30.65
38.27
Starch
equivalent
lb.
48.7
50.3
38.6
25.4
13.2
22.4
Nutritive
ratio
lb.
11.4
10.6
6.1
9.0
9.9
5.5