Dry matter intake, water intake and cost economics of Osmanabadi male goat kids under partial feeding of Moringa (Moringa oleifera) tree leaves

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of partial feeding of Moringa (Moringa oleifera) leaves on dry matter intake, water consumption and feeding cost of Osmanabadi male goat kids. Six goat kids (3-4 months, 10-12 kg body weight) were divided into three groups (T1, T2, T3) under a switch-over design. T1 received 200 g concentrate, T2 received 100 g concentrate + 100 g Moringa leaves, and T3 received 200 g Moringa leaves daily along with ad libitum gram straw. Dry matter intake per 100 kg body weight was 4.12, 4.20 and 4.26 kg for T1, T2 and T3, respectively. Mean daily water intake was significantly higher (p<0.05) in Moringa-supplemented groups compared to the control. The cost of feeding per goat kid over 63 days was Rs. 536.76, Rs. 283.92 and Rs. 120.12 for T1, T2 and T3, respectively. Results indicate that inclusion of Moringa leaves significantly reduced feed cost without adversely affecting dry matter intake and water consumption. Hence, Moringa foliage is an economical and sustainable alternative feed resource for goat rearing.