Performance of East African Short Horned Zebu Heifers Fed on Grass Supplemented With Cassava Leaf Meal and Azolla

Abstract

A major constraint to livestock productivity in the tropics is feed availability, both quantity and quality. To improve productivity, there is need to expand the feed base through utilization of non-conventional feedstuffs. A study was done to (i) Assess and document cassava production and utilization as livestock feed in selected farms (ii) Evaluate the effect of inclusion of Cassava leaf meal and Azolla in basal grass based diets on the performance of zebu heifers and (iii) To determine the effect of supplementation with Cassava leaves and Azolla on rumen microbial diversification in zebu heifers. In the first study, a structured questionnaire was administered to 120 respondents in two sub counties of Makueni county, Kenya. The data collected included, among others, cassava production (area, varieties), constraints to production, and the use of cassava as livestock feed...