Journal of American Science 2010:x(x)

The effect of inclusion level on nutrient intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance and haematological parameters of West African Dwarf (WAD) sheep fed Moringa oleifera as supplements to Panicum maximum was investigated in a completely randomized design experiment using twenty WAD rams with average initial weight of 16.1kg. There were five treatments 1 – 5 with 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 % M. oleifera inclusion levels respectively. M. oleifera had better nutrient profile with 29.68% CP and 16.98% CF contents than P. maximum with 9.17% CP and 40.37% CF. Inclusion of M. oleifera as supplement to P. maximum in the diets of WAD sheep significantly lowered (P<0.05) DM intake especially at higher (>50%) inclusion rates. OM, EE and NFE intakes were similar but CP intake increased while CF intake decreased (P<0.05) as inclusion level increases. The best DM, organic matter (OM), CP and Nitrogen-free extract (NFE) digestibility were obtained at 100 % Moringa inclusion while CF and ether extract (EE) digestibility were highest at 25 % inclusion level which also gave similar DM and CP digestibility with 100 % inclusion. N balance and retention were best under 25 % M. oleifera and least under 75 % M. oleifera. Packed cell volume (PCV), Haemoglobin (Hb), red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) counts for animals on browse supplementation were within the normal physiological range for healthy sheep, in contrast with those without supplementation which were below the range. The blood profile was best for animals on 25 % Moringa inclusion. [Journal of American Science 2010;6(10):634-643]. (ISSN: 1545-1003).