Chemical Composition of Forage Species from the Gadoudhe Range, in Fabidji Rural Municipality (Niger)

This study was conducted in the rural commune of Fabidji in the Gadoudhe range. It assessed the chemical composition of the forage species of the said range; which is a fallback area par excellence for the animals of the commune. 33 natural herbaceous and woody forage species of the Gadoudhe range were collected and characterized by determining the chemical composition. Thus, the TNM contents of the forage resources of the range are ˂ 10%. At the herbaceous level, the species richest in TNM are represented by Pupallia lappacea, Zornia glochidiata, Citrillus lanatus and Mollugo nudicaulis. For woody plants, Maerua crassifolia is the richest species. The natural herbaceous fodder studied is rich in crude cellulose (CC). More than 50% of the herbaceous plants have their CC contents higher than 30%. As for natural woody fodder, 66% of the species have their CC levels between 18 and 22%. The results of the determination of the chemical composition of the fodder reveal higher MM contents in natural herbaceous plants than in woody plants. Natural herbaceous fodder is less rich in fat than woody fodder. The results of the dosage of MM, CC, fat, and TNM of natural herbaceous and woody fodder of the Gadoudhe course made it possible to assess the forage quality of each species studied.