Effects of selected legume species and forage sorghum hay grown in limpopo province on voluntary intake and relative palatability indices of pedi goats

Available feeds for goats during the dry season are limiting in proteins and other nutrients and do not support good intake and growth. The study was conducted to determine intake and relative palatability indices of different legume species, when offered as supplements to Pedi goats fed a low quality of forage sorghum hay. The legume species included cowpea, lablab and mucuna hays. The experimental design was a completely randomized design, with feeds as treatments and individual animals as replicates. Pedi goats ate higher (p<0.05) amounts of mucuna than lablab, sorghum and cowpea hays. Pedi goats ate more (p<0.05) of lablab than sorghum and cowpea hays. Mucuna and lablab hays were highly preferred by Pedi goats than sorghum and cowpea hays. However, Pedi goats had similar (p>0.05) palatability indices for mucuna and lablab hays. Palatability indices were positively and significantly (p<0.05) predicted from dry matter intakes of goats (r ² = 0.98). However, intake and palatability indices of the forages were poorly (p>0.05) predicted from their nutrient composition and tannin contents. Some forages high in condensed tannins, for example mucuna, gave higher intake and palatability indices. It is concluded that mucuna and lablab supplementations gave higher intake and palatability indices. These legumes can be utilised as protein supplements to goats feeding on low quality roughages.