Nutrient utilization, digestibility, and growth performance of Woito-Guji goats fed diets containing Moringa stenopetala leaves and student cafeteria leftovers as partial replacements for conventional concentrate

This study evaluated the sustainability potential of replacing conventional concentrate with locally available unconventional feeds— Moringa stenopetala leaves and student cafeteria leftovers—in the diet of Woito-Guji goats. Twelve yearling intact goats were used in a 60-day randomized crossover trial (4 × 4) with four dietary treatments: T1 (hay 50% + concentrate 15% + M. stenopetala 35%), T2 (hay 50% + concentrate 15% + cafeteria leftovers 35%), T3 (hay 50% + concentrate 15% + 3:1 cafeteria leftovers : M. stenopetala , 35%), and T4 (hay 50% + concentrate 15% + 1:1 M. stenopetala : cafeteria leftovers, 35%). Sustainability indicators—nutrient intake, digestibility, growth performance, feed conversion efficiency (FCE), and protein efficiency ratio (PER)—were assessed. Goats fed mixed supplements (T3 and T4) showed significantly higher ( P < 0.001) dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein intake, as well as superior digestibility and average daily gain (48.8 and 87.1 g/goat/day, respectively) compared to T1 and T2. FCE and PER followed the same pattern, with T4 achieving the highest values. These results demonstrated that combining M. stenopetala (a protein-rich, drought-tolerant fodder tree) with cafeteria leftovers (a low-cost, otherwise wasted energy source) not only improves animal performance but also supports sustainable smallholder livestock production by reducing food waste, lowering dependence on purchased concentrate, and utilizing locally available, circular feed resources. These findings directly contributed to sustainable development goals (SDG 2: zero hunger, SDG 12: responsible consumption and production, and SDG 13: climate action) by improving livestock productivity, promoting circular use of food waste, and reducing reliance on resource-intensive conventional feeds.