TY - JOUR AU - P Mutai AU - S Ronoh AU - A Nandwa PY - 2023/05/03 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Feed Intake and Feed Conversion Efficiency of Growing SEAG Fed on Mature Green Pods of Acacia brevispica, A. mellifera and A. tortilis Processed Differently as Supplements JF - Africa Journal of Technical and Vocational Education and Training JA - AfriTVET VL - 8 IS - 1 SE - FOOD SECURITY AND SCIENCE DO - UR - https://afritvet.org/index.php/Afritvet/article/view/169 AB - Kenya has about 52 speciesof acacia which possess tannins. Little effort has been made toprocess the acacia species pods to add value to their nutritional potential. It is in this aspect that the study intended to assess the Feed Intake (FI) and Feed Conversion Efficiency (FCE)of growing Small East Africa Goats fed on mature green pods of Acacia brevispi ca, melliferaand tortilis processed differently as supplements in Emining ward within Mogotio SubCounty in Baringo County, Kenya A total of 20 bucks 4-5 months old weighing 12kg±1.05 were purchased. They were blocked according to their live weights and randomly allocated tofive treatments in a Randomized Complete Block design. Deworming was done prior to datacollection. The five treatments were; T1 (fresh mature green pods of Acacia sp. Untreated, T2(green Acacia sp. pods - shade dried for 48 hours), T3 (green pods of Acacia sp sun dried for48 hours), T4 (green pods of Acacia sp. soaked in wood ash mixed with water for 48 hours, and T5 (negative control-basal diet of Rhodes grass Hay-Chloris gayana mixed with wheat brand (3:1)). All the bucks in all the treatments were fed on the same basal diet of 400grams. FI was recorded daily and Average Weight Gain taken fortnightly for a period of threemonths. Data obtained was fed to Stratigraphic Centurion XVII and subjected to Analysis of Variance. A. tortilis pods processed differently was taken in large amounts when processed in alkaline (416.50±6.50 gm, (p<0.05). Initial weight of the SEAG did not differ prior to feeding(p>0.05). For control, Shade dried, Sun dried and Alkali treatment, A. tortilis ponds resultedto the highest weight (p<0.05). Bucks fed on Acacia tortilis- alkali-treated-pods resulted in best Average Daily Gain (p<0.05). Highest FCE was recorded in Acacia tortilis treated in alkali p<0.05) which had the lowest FCR. In conclusion based on the results of the current study, Acacia tortilis showed the overall best performance in most of parameters tested. Toreduce the harmful effects of tannins in tanniniferous forages, the alkali technique of tanninreduction in acacia species pods should be used. ER -