Nutritional characteristics of four browse plants consumed by free-ranging ruminants in Western part of Nigeria

A number of browse plants worldwide serve as alternative feedstuffs for livestock. The location-specific studies on these groups of livestock have confirmed that their production system is based on free grazing of roadside and bush forages complimented with household wastes. The current study was undertaken to evaluate the chemical composition, in vitro dry matter degradation and gas production of four browse species (Azadirachta indica, Ficus exasperate, Synedrella nodiflora and Boerhavia diffusa). The results showed that ash, crude protein, dry matter and neutral detergent fibre contents were significantly different among all the species.